Opodeldoc

Opodeldoc is a name given by the physician Paracelsus to a sort of liniment which he invented, or at least bestowed this name on. Paracelsus's opodeldoc was a mixture of soap in alcohol, to which camphor and sometimes a number of herbal essences, most notably wormwood, were added. Paracelsus's recipe forms the basis for most later versions of liniment.

The Pharmacopoeia of the United States gives a recipe for opodeldoc that contains:

• Powdered soap, 60 grams;
• Camphor, 45 grams;
• Oil of rosemary, 10 milliliters;
• Alcohol, 700 millileters;
• Water, enough to make 1000 milliliters

The name Old Opodeldoc was formerly used as a standard name for a stock character who was a physician, especially when played as a comic figure.

This is a stub.