sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate
A laboratory technician carefully measures sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate for a solution.
Noun: A specific chemical compound, a light-colored crystalline powder, historically used as a topical antiseptic and preservative. It is an organomercury compound.
This is a highly technical, scientific term. Its usage is almost exclusively confined to historical medical, pharmaceutical, or chemical contexts. It is not used in everyday language. * The preservative sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate was once common in vaccines and antiseptic solutions. * Due to mercury toxicity, the use of sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate has been discontinued or severely restricted.
- Historical Medical Context: "The multi-dose vial contained sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate to prevent bacterial growth."
- Chemical Description: "Under the microscope, sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate appears as fine, colorless crystals."
- Regulatory and Safety Context: The term is used in discussions of pharmaceutical history, toxicology, and regulatory science concerning mercury-based compounds.
- Example: "The phase-out of sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate marked a significant change in vaccine formulation safety standards."
- Thiomersal / Thimerosal: These are the most common alternative names for the same compound. "Thiomersal" is the internationally accepted name.
- Merthiolate: A former trade name for products containing this compound.
- Organomercury compound: The broader class of chemical compounds to which it belongs.
- Antiseptic: A general term for a substance that inhibits the growth of disease-causing microorganisms.
- Preservative: A substance used to prevent decomposition.
- Thiomersal
- Thimerosal
- Merthiolate (trade name)
This word refers solely to a specific chemical entity. It does not have idiomatic meanings or phrasal verbs. Its recognition is primarily by scientists, healthcare professionals, and historians of medicine.
A laboratory technician carefully measures sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate for a solution.
- a light-colored crystalline powder (trade name Merthiolate) used as a surgical antiseptic