Monograph: |
Oleum lini
(Linseed Oil)
The fixed oil expressed from the ripe seeds of linseed (above), Linum usitatissimum (Linaceae). A clear, yellowish brown oil. Gradually thickens on exposure to air forming, when spread in a thin film, a hard transparent varnish.
Slightly soluble in alcohol: miscible with chloroform, ether, and petroleum spirit. Store in well-filled well-closed containers.
Linseed oil is used in veterinary medicine as a purgative for horses and cattle. In man, linseed oil is included in topical preparations for a variety of skin disorders. It has been tried as a vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids (p. 1276). Boiled linseed oil ('boiled oil') is linseed oil heated with litharge, manganese resinate, or other driers, to a temperature of about 150Β° so that metallic salts of the fatty acids are formed and cause the oil to dry more rapidly. It mΒ«st not be used for medicinal purposes.
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