Liniment from the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm. Liniments are of a similar viscosity

Viscosity

Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...

 to lotion

Lotion

A lotion is a low- to medium-viscosity, topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity.Lotions are usually applied to external skin with bare hands, a clean cloth, cotton wool or gauze...

s (being significantly less viscous than an ointment or cream

Cream (pharmaceutical)

A cream is a topical preparation usually for application to the skin. Creams for application to mucus membranes such as those of the rectum or vagina are also used. Creams may be considered pharmaceutical products as even cosmetic creams are based on techniques developed by pharmacy and...

) but unlike a lotion a liniment is applied with friction; that is, a liniment is always rubbed in.

Liniments are typically sold to relieve pain and stiffness, such as from sore muscle

Muscle

Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...

s or from arthritis

Arthritis

Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....

. These liniments typically are formulated from alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

, acetone

Acetone

Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...

, or similar quickly evaporating solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

s and contain counterirritant

Counterirritant

A counterirritant is a substance which creates inflammation in one location with the goal of lessening the inflammation in another location. They can be used as antipruritics. This strategy falls into the more general category of counterstimulation....

 aromatic chemical compounds such as methyl salicilate, benzoin resin

Benzoin resin

Benzoin resin or styrax resin is a balsamic resin obtained from the bark of several species of trees in the genus Styrax. It is used in perfumes, some kinds of incense, as a flavoring, and medicine . Its principal component is benzoic acid...

, or capsaicin

Capsaicin

Capsaicin 2CHCH=CH4CONHCH2C6H3-4--3- ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact...

. Opodeldoc

Opodeldoc

Opodeldoc is a name given by the physician Paracelsus to a sort of liniment which he invented, or at least bestowed this name on.Paracelsus's opodeldoc was a mixture of soap in alcohol, to which camphor and sometimes a number of herbal essences, most notably wormwood, were added...

is a sort of liniment invented by the physician Paracelsus

Paracelsus

Paracelsus was a German-Swiss Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and general occultist....

.

Uses on horses

Liniments are a common substance used by trainers and owners of horses. They may be applied diluted or full-strength, usually added into a bucket of water when sponged on the body. Liniments are especially useful in hot weather to help a hot horse cool down: the alcohols help the product to quickly evaporate, and the oils they contain cause the capillaries in the skin to dilate, also increasing the cooling process.

Liniments should always be applied according to the manufacturer's directions, and diluted as necessary. Many horse owners apply liniments to the legs as a brace, and then wrap over it. In this case, they should be sure that the liniment is not too strong, or it may cause blistering of the skin.

Liniments may be used on the legs and body, but should not be applied to more sensitive areas such as the head, genitals or groin of the horse. The body may also be too sensitive to apply liniments if the horse was recently body-clipped.

Topical medication forms

(Source: )

• Cream
  Cream (pharmaceutical)
  A cream is a topical preparation usually for application to the skin. Creams for application to mucus membranes such as those of the rectum or vagina are also used. Creams may be considered pharmaceutical products as even cosmetic creams are based on techniques developed by pharmacy and...
  
   - Emulsion of oil and water in approximately equal proportions. Penetrates stratum corneum
  Stratum corneum
  The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the epidermis, consisting of dead cells that lack nuclei and organelles. The purpose of the stratum corneum is to form a barrier to protect underlying tissue from infection, dehydration, chemicals and mechanical stress...
  
   outer layer of skin well.
• Ointment - Combines oil (80%) and water (20%). Effective barrier against moisture loss.
• Gel
  Gel
  A gel is a solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state...
  
   - Liquefies upon contact with the skin.
• Paste
  Paste (rheology)
  In physics, a paste is a substance that behaves as a solid until a sufficiently large load or stress is applied, at which point it flows like a fluid. In rheological terms, a paste is an example of a Bingham plastic fluid....
  
   - Combines three agents - oil, water, and powder; an ointment in which a powder is suspended.
• Powder
  Powder (substance)
  A powder is a dry,thick bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...