Basic lead acetate, also known as subacetate of lead, is the inorganic compound with the formula Pb₃(OH)₄(O₂CCH₃)₂. A white solid, it is one of several

lead acetate Lead acetate can refer to: * Lead subacetate (Basic lead acetate), Pb3(OH)4(CH3COO)2 * Lead(IV) acetate Lead(IV) acetate or lead tetraacetate is an organometallic compound with chemical formula . It is a colorless solid that is soluble in nonpo ...

History

Goulard's extract is a solution of

lead(II) acetate Lead(II) acetate (Pb(CH3COO)2), also known as lead acetate, lead diacetate, plumbous acetate, sugar of lead, lead sugar, salt of Saturn, or Goulard's powder, is a white crystalline chemical compound with a slightly sweet taste. Like many other le ...

and

lead(II) oxide Lead(II) oxide, also called lead monoxide, is the inorganic compound with the molecular formula Pb O. PbO occurs in two polymorphs: litharge having a tetragonal crystal structure, and massicot having an orthorhombic crystal structure. Modern ap ...

used as an

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian plant ...

during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. It was named after its introducer, Thomas Goulard.

Lead poisoning Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. The brain is the most sensitive. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, inferti ...

and the development of more effective astringents caused doctors to abandon its use. Synonymous or very closely related formulations were known as ''liquor plumbi subacetis dilutus'', ''eau de Goulard'', extract of

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

, vinegar of Saturn, and liquid acetate of lead. The white water ''eau de Saturne'' differed from ''eau de Goulard'' in not containing alcohol, but was often confused with it. Goulard's Extract was a primary ingredient in both Goulard's Cerate and Goulard's Water.

References

{{reflist History of pharmacy Lead(II) compounds