Oleum infusum is a Latin term used in pharmacy to refer to an oily infusion. The term is pronounced as "o-lay-um in-fyoo-suhm" /ɔːlɪəm ˈɪnfjʊsʌm/. The word oleum is spelled with the letter "o" producing a short vowel sound pronounced as "ah". The letter "i" in infusum is pronounced as "ee", while the letter "u" is pronounced with a short vowel sound like "uh". The phonetic transcription of this word helps to understand its pronunciation and spelling better.
Oleum infusum is a Latin phrase that can be broken down into two parts: "oleum" meaning oil, and "infusum" meaning an infusion or extract. In the field of medicine and pharmacology, oleum infusum refers to a preparation method used to extract medicinal properties from plants or herbs using oil as the solvent.
When creating an oleum infusum, dried herbs or plant materials are typically macerated or crushed before being mixed with a vegetable oil such as olive oil or almond oil. The mixture is then often heated and allowed to steep or infuse for a period of time, allowing the oil to absorb the active components or chemical constituents of the plant material. This process enables the transfer of various therapeutic compounds, such as essential oils, resins, and other bioactive substances, into the oil.
Oleum infusum preparations can be utilized in various applications, depending on the properties of the plant ingredients used. They are commonly employed in traditional herbal medicine, aromatherapy practices, and natural cosmetic formulations. The resulting oleum infusum can be used topically for massage, as a base for herbal salves, balms, or ointments, or as a carrier oil for diluting essential oils. It is believed to deliver the beneficial qualities of the herbs or plants effectively, making it a versatile and valuable tool in natural health and wellness practices.
Infused oil; a class of preparations, recognized by the N.F., made by digesting 20 per cent, by weight of dried herbs (usually narcotic), previously macerated in alcohol and ammonia water, in a mixture of equal volumes of lard oil and cotton-seed oil; the preparation contains the alkaloids or other active ingredients of the plants.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word oleum infusum is derived from Latin.
- Oleum in Latin means oil. It comes from the Latin root oleum, which also means oil in English.
- Infusum comes from the Latin verb infundere, which means to pour in or to steep. The word infusum is the perfect passive participle form of infundere, indicating something that has been poured or infused.
In combination, oleum infusum refers to infused oil or oil that has been steeped with herbs or other ingredients.