What on earth is velutina impalpable, II?

OK, it was a mixture of bismuth powder with small quantities of vaseline, but what was it meant to do (late C19th) and what was its English name? (Lots of products at the end of the C19th were made by mixing powders with petroleum jelly (eg coal dust to make mascara). It might be unsafe to assume the result was for external use: vaseline chemist Robert Cheesebrough claimed to have eaten a spoonful every day. (Source: Wikipedia))

Trevor @ 5 June 2006 7:41 PM

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Comments

1. Dr Hoo
   7:35 PM on 13 June 2006

   Try “impalpable ointment”. I think it was used for a variety of skin complaints.

2. Trevor ap Patnarthur
   8:15 PM on 13 June 2006

   I think you’re right.

   (Aside: Celestia Angenette Bloss has someone try out an interesting-sounding impalpable elixir on Berengaria of Navarre in Heroines of the Crusades: “[it] seemed to permeate her being, and the light of her eye was tempered to a holy ray, the color blanched on her cheeks, and the vivacity of love gave place to the serenity of content.” Content was king even then)

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