The following tables of weights and measures may not be an inappropriate appendix to the preceding list of symbols. It may be premised that the weights ordered in prescriptions refer to the Apothecaries' weight, and the measures to imperial measure.

Many of the hieroglyphics painted on the show-bottles in the druggists' windows are without meaning, being the invention of the painter. Those which are intelligible are, for the most part, the characters formerly used to designate the seven anciently known metals, and which are the same as those employed by the astrologers to represent the planets.

To these must be added the sign (a Maltese cross,) indicative of acrimony, indicated by the sharp points surrounding it.

The astrological symbols employed by chemists to represent the ancient metals aptly express the properties, real or fancied, of the substances they were intended to designate.

Gold, formerly called Sol, was represented by a circle, which represented its perfection, its immutability, its density (for a sphere contains the greatest amount of matter under the smallest surface,) and its simplicity; for the equality of the radii of a circle represents the equality of the parts and homogeneous nature of gold.

Silver, termed Diana or Luna, was characterized by (, because it was thought to be half gold, whose inward part turned outwards makes pure gold. Neither gold nor silver was supposed to contain anything acrid or corrosive.

Quicksilver, called Mercury, was represented by ☀, (a symbol compounded of the hieroglyphic for gold, silver, and acrimony,) indicating that its real nature or inmost part was pure gold, but that its top, face, or superficies, appeared like silver, whilst there lurked beneath something acrid and corrosive. Remove from it the appearance of silver, and its sharp corrosive quality, and you have pure gold (aurum vivum.)

Copper, termed Venus, was indicated by Q, showing that this metal was, for the most part, gold combined with acridity. Remove the latter and you have real gold. Copper wants the silver face of mercury.

Iron, called Mars, was represented by ,-that is, gold with acridity; for iron was thought to consist principally of gold profoundly concealed in it by a very evident acrimony, which, however, is only half that contained in mercury and copper, and, therefore, is represented by a kind of barbed point inclined to the right, a portion only of the sign expressive of acridity, and farther significative of the use of this metal in the service of the God of War.

Tin, termed Jupiter, was represented by 24, indicating that it was one-half silver, the other half acri

Lead was called Sturm, act only." says Foureroy, "because they suppose this metal to be oldest, 111, as it were, the father of all the others, but also because it was considered as very coli: because the property of absorbing, an i apparently destroying, a most all the metals. was attributed to lead in the same manner as fabulous history affirms that Saturn, the father of the gods, devoured his children." Its symbol was h. indicating that it was nearly all corrosive, but with some resemblance to silver.

CHAP. IX.-ON THE GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS.

Ir has been thought advisable to devote one chapter to a few remarks on the grammatical construction of prescriptions. The Rules of Syntax, with illustrations drawn from prescriptions, will be first given, and to these will be appended a grammatical explanation of a few prescriptions.

I. THE RULES OF SYNTAX.

Those rules of syntax which require to be noticed here are thirty-two in number. They may be conveniently arranged under the two heads of Concords and Government.

a. OF CONCORDS.-The Concords are four.*
1. Of an Adjective, &c., with a Substantive.
2. Of a Verb with a Nominative.

3. Of a Re'ative with an Antecedent.

4. Of a Substantive with a Substantive.

Some grammarians make only three concords: the agreement of one substantive with another signifying the same thing (Rule 8) not being considered by them a concord, but being called appoKition. However. for the reason assigned by Mr. Grant (Institutes of Latin Grammar, p. 172,) I have adopted it as a primary concord.

Rule 1. Adjectives, participles, and pronouns, agree with the substantive in gender, number, and case;

as

Grana duo. Cochleare amplum. Haustus sumendus. Quâque nocte. Pannum Laneum. Cataplasma calidum.

Rule 2. A personal verb agrees with its nominative in number and person; as

Tu recipe. Mittatur sanguis. Admoveatur emplas

trum.

Capiat ager. Fricetur corpus. Fove

antur gingiva.

Colluantur fauces.

Rule 3. The infinitive mood has an accusative before it;

as

Repetatur venaesectio quotidie ad tertiam vel quartam vicem nisi constet vires prius deficere.

[Note. The noun vires (of the accusative case plural) follows constet, but precedes the infinitive deficere.]

Rule 4. The relative qui, quæ, quod, agrees with the antecedent in gender, number, and person; asDivide in pilulas sex, quarum sumat unam pro re natâ.

[Note. Here quarum is the relative, and agrees with the antecedent pilulas in gender, number, and person.]

Rule 5. If no nominative come between the relative and the verb, the relative shall be the nominative to the verb; as

Fint pilule duodecim, quæ sumendæ sunt ut antea. Rule 6. But if a nominative come between the relative and the verb, the relative shall be of that case which the verb or noun following, or the preposition going before, uses to govern; as

Fiat haustus cui, tempore capiendi, adde, &c.

[Note. Here the nominative (tu, understood) comes between the relative (cui) and the verb (adde:) hence the relative is put in the dative case, being governed by the verb adde.]

Rule 7. Two or more substantives singular, coupled together by a conjunction, generally have a verb, adjective, or relative plural; as—

Haustus et pilula sumantur tribus horis.

Rule 8. One substantive agrees with another, signifying the same thing, in case; as

Recipe potassa tartratis (vulgò Tartari solubilis)

unciam.

[Note. Potassa tartratis and Tartarum solubile being terms signifying the same thing, they are put in the same case.]

B. OF GOVERNMENT.

1. Of Nouns.

2. Of Verbs.

3. Of words indeclinable.

Nouns.

Rule 9. One substantive governs another, signifying a different thing, in the genitive; as

Uncia magnesia. Magnitudo nucis

Horâ somni.

Uncia quinque sanguinis.

moschata.

[Note. The substance governed may govern another, signifying a different thing; as Drachma soda* carbonatis.]

Rule 10. An adjective, in the neuter gender, without a substance expressed, is followed by a genitive: the

*Soda is generally said to be derived from the Arabic, but Dr. Good says "the word Soda is derived from the German word. Das Sod, or Sodt,-foam or scum boiling up to the surface."-Good's Nosology.