saracenic ointment

noun

A mixture of mercury, various herbs, and fats, originally used in the treatment of leprosy, and later applied to cases of syphilis.

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Meanings

nounsaracenic ointment (uncountable)
  1. historicaluncountableA mixture of mercury, various herbs, and fats, originally used in the treatment of leprosy, and later applied to cases of syphilis.

    One popular ointment for use 'in the early stage of the disease' was the 'saracenic ointment' which was rubbed into the skin.

    2005, Bernard Hamilton, The Leper King and His Heirs, page 255
    2 more examples

    The 'loveable' new king Baldwin IV excelled at his studies with William, but he had to endure a variety of treatments—blood-lettings, oil-rubs in 'saracenic ointment' and enemas.

    2011, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Jerusalem: The Biography – A History of the Middle East, page 290

    The so-called 'greasers of pox' were active in Europe, anointing their patients with 'saracenic ointment', an unguent invented in earlier centuries for the treatment of leprosy, and consisting of mercury mixed with herbs and oils or fats.

    2017, Walter Gratzer, First Do No Harm: Drugs from the Ancients to Big Pharma
Cite this entry
APA

saracenic ointment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saracenic%20ointment

MLA

“saracenic ointment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saracenic%20ointment. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “saracenic ointment,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saracenic%20ointment.

Source: saracenic ointment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.