Petrolatum
Pronunciation : Pet`ro*la"tum
Part of Speech : n.
Definition : Defn: A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish, fatlike mass, transparent in thin layers, and somewhat fluorescent. It is used as a bland protective dressing, and as a substitute for fatty materials in ointments. U. S. Pharm.
Note: Petrolatum is the official name for the purified product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names for substances essentially the same, but differing slightly in appearance and consistency or fusibility.
(Chem. & Pharm.)
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913