CERATE, in pharmacy, a kind of ointment applied to ulcerations, excoriations, &c. There are four kinds of cerate, viz. the white cerate, which is composed of a quarter of a pint of olive-oil, four ounces of white wax, and half an ounce of spermaceti, liquified together and starred till the cerate be cold. The yellow cerate is composed of half a pound of yellow basilicum ointment, and an ounce of yellow wax, melted together. The ceratum epuloticum, is composed of one pint of olive-oil, and of yellow wax and calamine prepared each half a pound. Liquify the wax with the oil, and, as soon as the mixture begins to grow stiff, sprinkle in the calamine, keeping them constantly stirring till the cerate is quite cold. The mercurial cerate is composed of yellow wax, hogs lard dried, each half a pound; three ounces of quick-silver; and one dram of simple balsam of sulphur. Melt the wax with the lard, then gradually add this mixture to the quick-silver and balsam of sulphur previously ground together.