from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Petrolatum \Pet`ro*la"tum\, n. (Chem. & Pharm.)
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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Cosmoline \Cos"mo*line\ (k?z"m?-l?n), n. [Prob. fr. cosmetic +
L. oleum oil.] (Chem.)
A substance obtained from the residues of the distillation of
petroleum, essentially the same as vaseline, but of somewhat
stiffer consistency, and consisting of a mixture of the
higher paraffines; a kind of petroleum jelly.
[1913 Webster]