P. C. Pondus civile, civil weight (Avoirdupois weight.) P. M. Pondus medicinale, medicinal weight (Apothecaries' weight.) Ph. D. Pharmacopeia Dublinensis. Ph. E. Pharmacopeia Edinensis. Ph. L. Pharmacopaia Londinensis. Ph. U. S. Pharmacopoeia of the United States. Part. vic. Partitis vicibus, in divided doses. Peractâ operatione emetici, when the Per. op. emet. operation of the emetic is finished. Pocul. Poculum, a cup. A tea-cup holds from four to six ounces of distilled water. Pocill. Pocillum, a little cup. Post sing. sed. liq. Post singulas sedes liquidas, after every loose stool. Ppt. Præparata, prepared. P. r. n. Pro re nata, according as circumstances arise (that is, occasionally.) P. rat. et. Pro ratione ætatis, according to the age of the patient. Pug. Pugillus, a pinch; a gripe between the thumb and the two first fingers.* Pulv. Pulvis, pulverizatus; a powder, powdered. Q. 1. Quantum lubet, Q. p. Q.s. Quantum placet, } as much as you please. Quantum sufficit, or quantum satis, as muc as is sufficient. *The following table shows the value of the Pugillus: Pugillus florum anthemidis nobilis.. arnicæ montanæ..... tussilaginis farfaræ Grammes. Dr. Scr. Gr. 7.80 or 2 00 6.201 1 151 (See p. 66.) althææ officinalis... seminum foeniculi....... Quor. Quorum, of which. Q. V. Quantum vis, quantum volueris, as much as you will. Red. in pulv. Redactus in pulverem, powdered. Redig. in pulv. Redigatur in pulverem, let it be reduced to powder. Reg. umbil. Regio umbilici, the umbilical region. S. A. Seat. Secundum naturam, according to nature. Semidr. Semidrachma, half a drachm. Sesunc. Sesuncia, an ounce and a half. Sesquih. Si n. val. Si non valeat, if it does not answer. Si opus sit, if there be occasion. Si rir. perm. Si vires permittant, if the strength will bear it. Signatura, a label (see p. 18.) Sign. n. pr. Signetur nomine proprio, let it be written upon with the proper name (not the trade name.) Sing. Singulorum, of each. S. S. S. Stratum super stratum, layer upon layer. Semi, half. Ss. St. Stet, let it stand; stent, let them stand. Sub. fin. coct. Sub finem coctionis, when the boiling is nearly finished. Sum. tal. Sumat talem, let the patient take one like this. Sum. Summitates, the summits or tops. Sum. Sume, sumat, sumatur, sumantur, sumendus; take thou, let him take, let be taken, to be taken. S.V. Spiritus vinosus, ardent spirit of any strength. S. V. R. Spiritus vini rectificatus, rectified spirit of wine. S. V. T. Spiritus vini tenuis, proof spirit. Tabel. Tabella (dim. of tabula, a table,) a lozenge. Temp. dext. Tempori dextro, to the right temple.* T. 0. Tinctura opii, tincture of opium; generally confounded with laudanum, which is properly the wine of opium. T. O. C. Tinctura opii camphorata, paregoric elixir. It is now called Tinct. camphora composita. Trit. Tra. Tritura, triturate. Tinctura, tincture. Troch. Trochisci, troches or lozenges. Ult. præscr. Ultimo præscriptus, the last ordered. Vitello ovi solutus, dissolved in the yolk V. O. S. of an egg. Vom. urg. troublesome. Vomitione urgente, the vomiting being V. S. B. Venaesectio brachii, bleeding in the arm. Zz. Zingiber, ginger. CHAP. VIII.-ON THE SYMBOLS or SIGNS USED IN PRESCRIPTIONS. FORMERLY the signs or symbols employed in chemistry and pharmacy as substitutes for words, were numerous. *Tempora, the temples, although generally used in the plural, yet is sometimes found in the singular. Dr. M. Good, in his History of Medicine. published in the year 1795, relates the following story:-A physician prescribed for the son of a poor woman, labouring under dyspnoea, the following draught, to be given at bed-time: R. Syr. papav. alb. zj. Aq. destill. v. M. Unfortunately, the person to whom this prescription was brought, not being acquainted with the new name for paregoric elixir, and not attending to the C. (camphorata,) made it with 3ij. Tincture opii; and. though he advised the woman to give the child only half the draught, it proved sufficiently strong to destroy life be fore the evening of the following day. At the present time they are very few. The following alone deserve notice: R. Recipe, take. Ancient authors use this sign 2, being the old heathen invocation to Jupiter, seeking his blessing upon the formula, equivalent to the usual invocation of the poets and of Mahommedan authors, or the Laus Deo with which book-keepers and merchants' clerks formerly began their books of accounts and in voices, a practice now almost extinct. "It is at present so disguised by the addition of the down-stroke, which converts it into the letter R, that, were it not for its cloven foot, we might be led to question the fact of its superstitious origin."-Paris's Pharmacologia. (See chap. I. p. 6.) my. Minimum, the 60th part of a fluidrachm. Gtt. Gutte, drops. Scrupulus vel Scrupulum. A scruple, equal to 20 grains troy. 3. Drachma, a drachm, equal to three scruples; or, in liquids, the 8th part of an ounce measure. 3. Uncia, an ounce troy; or, in liquids, the 16th part of a wine pint, or the 20th part of the imperial pint. b. Libra, a pound weight. I wish some other character could be substituted either for the OUNCE or the DRACHM: for the two characters being so extremely alike, I am well persuaded many very bad mistakes occur: the DRACHM being nearly a figure of three (5) requires nothing but one small angle over it () to make it an ounce (3;) thus the mistake is easily made, in the hurry of writing. by the prescriber, or in the making up by the compounder. So sensible of the pos sibility, or rather so well acquainted with the certainty, of fatal mistakes having happened from this similarity of figure in the marks of the drachm and the ounce. was that excellent and incorruptible patriot, Dr. Charles Lucas (of Dublin,) that the very first Bill he brought into Parliament, after he had been returned a member for the city of Dublin, was a Bill to compel the physicians of Ireland to discontinue the using of characters in their 0. Octarius, a pint. Fl. Fluid. Used as a prefix to certain measures to distinguish them from weights; thus ƒZ., fluiduncia; and Az., fluidrachma. Ss. Semis, half. Used as an affix to weights and measures; as ss., semiuncia; Zss., semidrachma; Ass., semiscrupulum. Gr. Granum or Grana. A grain; grains. Gr. vi. Grana sex, six grains. Gr. v. Grana quinque, five grains. prescriptions, and to write the words at full length-Uncias tres, drachmas duas, scrupulum unam cum semisse."-Chamberlain's Tyrocinium Medicum, 2d edit. 1819. |