Emplastrum is a medical term that refers to a healing plaster or bandage. The spelling of this word may seem complicated, but it follows the rules of phonetic transcription. The first syllable "em" is pronounced [ɛm], followed by "plas" [plæs] and "trum" [trʌm]. The silent "h" in "ph" indicates that the "p" is actually pronounced as an "f" [ˈɛmplæstrʌm]. Despite its challenging spelling, emplastrum is a useful word to know for anyone in the medical profession or with an interest in health and wellness.
Emplastrum is a noun that refers to a medicinal term used in pharmacy and medicine. It is derived from the Latin word "emplastrum" meaning "plaster."
In pharmacy, emplastrum is specifically defined as a solid or semi-solid medicated preparation that consists of various ingredients such as resins, oils, waxes, and medicinal substances. It is commonly applied to the skin externally in the form of a plaster or poultice to provide local relief or treatment for different conditions. Emplastrums are usually prepared by heating the ingredients together until they become soft and pliable, then spreading them onto a suitable material like cloth or leather to form a desired shape or size.
Emplastrums are widely used to address a range of ailments such as musculoskeletal pain, inflammation, muscle strains, joint stiffness, or to aid in wound healing. The medicinal substances incorporated in emplastrums may include analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, counterirritants, or antimicrobials, depending on the intended therapeutic effect.
Although emplastrums have been used historically, their use in modern medicine has somewhat diminished with the development of alternative formulations such as creams, gels, or transdermal patches. Nevertheless, they remain an effective option for localized treatment and are still utilized in some traditional practices or niche medical circumstances.
Overall, emplastrum is a pharmaceutical preparation administered externally to the skin to provide localized therapeutic effects, traditionally in the form of a plaster or poultice.
Plaster; a solid preparation of such consistency that, when applied to the body, it does not run but softens sufficiently to be adhesive; plasters are used to protect raw surfaces and wounds, to keep the edges of a cut in apposition, to produce irritation or blistering of the skin, and sometimes to apply drugs with the expectation of absorption.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word emplastrum is derived from the Latin word emplastrum, which means plaster. In Latin, emplastrum was used to refer to a medicinal substance in the form of a plaster or poultice that was applied to the skin to alleviate pain or inflammation. The Latin term itself can be traced back to the Greek word emplastron, which has the same meaning. The word emplastrum ultimately derives from the Greek word emplatto, which means to spread.