An old-fashioned medicinal ointment or salve, typically made from wax mixed with oils or fats and medicinal ingredients.
From Latin ceratum, meaning 'waxed' or 'covered with wax,' derived from cera (wax). Used consistently in medical texts from the Middle Ages through the 19th century.
Before modern pharmacy, cerate was the gold standard for treating wounds and skin conditions—apothecaries prided themselves on their secret cerate recipes, and some were as valuable as modern pharmaceuticals.
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