Basilicon

Basilicon, or basilicum, is the name given to various ointments that were believed to have 'sovereign' virtues. One such example was an unguent composed of rosin, wax, pitch, and oil, which pre-modern surgeons used as a suppurative.

The German physician Wilhelm Fabry described the use of basilicon ointments in the treatment of burns.^[1] English physicians in the early nineteenth century reported their use in the prevention of gangrene.^[2]

See also

• Balm
• Bezoar

Note

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). "Basilicon". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.