0139. P43 1857

PREFACE

TO THE TWELFTH EDITION.

THIS little work has been before the public for thirty years, the first edition having been published

in 1824.

In preparing the eleventh edition for the press, the Author made numerous additions, with a view of increasing its usefulness. So short a period having elapsed, it has been considered unnecessary to submit the work to farther revision.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART I.-GENERAL REMARKS ON PRESCRIPTIONS.

CHAP. I.-Definitions. Prescription, Formula, Receipt or

Recipe.-Components of Formulæ..

CHAP. II.-Historical Notice. The Pentateuch. Nicander,

Scribonius Largus, Galen, Sabur, the first official Bri

tish pharmacopoeia......

CHAP. III.-Of the Parts of a Prescription....................

CHAP. IV.--Language used in Prescriptions. Customs of dif

ferent countries. Reasons for preferring the Latin lan-

guage.....

CHAP. V.-Terms and Phrases employed in Prescriptions:-

SECT. 1.-Terms relating to General Blood-letting. Phlebo-

tomy. Arteriotomy. Fainting. Instruments used for

blood-letting........

SECT. 2.-Terms relating to Local Blood-letting. Cupping,

and apparatus for. Leeches, their application.-Scarifi-

cation...

SECT. 3.-Terms relating to the Extraction of Teeth, &c.

Toothache. Extraction of Teeth. Lancing the gums.

Tooth instruments....

SECT. 4.-Terms relating to Plasters, &c. Plasters, malag-

mata, pastilli, cataplasms, epispastics, blisters......

SECT. 5.--Terms relating to Friction, &c. Friction, inunction

and dusting or besprinkling.......

PAGE

SECT. 6.--Terms relating to Shaving, &c. Hairs, shaving,-a

razor

SECT. 7.-Terms relating to Issues, Setons, Acupuncture, dc.

Issues, mode of production. Setons. Seton needle.

Acupuncture.....

SECT. S.-Terms relating to Electricity, &c. Electricity, po-
sitive and negative.-Apparatus for electrization,-dif
ferent modes of electrifying. Voltaic electricity. Elec-
tro-magnetism. Electro-puncture. Magnetism......
SECT. 9.-Terms relating to Purging, &c. Stools or Excre-
ments, purging,-constipation,-to purge-to bind
the bowels. Clysters. Suppositories......

SECT. 10.-Terms relating to Vomiting, Sweating, Sneezing,
dc. Vomiting,-to promote it, to suppress it; infusion
of emetics into the veins.-Sweating, to promote it, to
suppress it.-Sneezing, to excite it.-Diuresis, to pro-
mote it. Catheters to draw off the urine.-Menses, to
promote them.......

SECT. 11.-Of Worms. Intestinal worms (and other ento-
zoa,) to expel them.....

SECT. 12.-Terms relating to Baths. Fomentations, fc. Baths,

different kinds of; ancient baths, local baths. Affu-

sion. Fomentation. Washing. Dry Fumes. Aqueous

vapours............

SECT. 13.-Terms relating to Doses. Doses or portions. Spoon-
fuls, cupfuls, glassfuls. Volume of solid medicines.
Different modes of administering medicines.......
SECT. 14.-Terms relating to time. Months, weeks, days,
hours.-Immediately, occasionally, &c.......

SECT. 15.-Terms relating to Parts of the Body. Head, neck,

body, chest, abdomen, extremities, &c...

PAGE

SECT. 16.-Terms relating to the Symptoms of Diseases.

Cough, pain, watchfulness, tenesmus, fever, spasm, hic-

cup, &c......

SECT. 17.-Terms relating to the Powers and Uses of Reme-

dies. To cure, to prevent relapses, to appease pain, to

promote urine and the menses, to correct acidity, to fu-

migate, to allay spasm, to expel worms, to cauterize,

&c.......

SECT. 18.-Terms used in General Therapeutics and Phar.

macology. Dr. Duncan's Classification of the general

terms used by writers on general therapeutics and phar-

macology, with additions..

PAGE

SECT. 19-Terms relating to Food, &c. Food or aliment.

Diet. Corn and its alimentary preparations. Drinks:

broth, milk, spirit, wines, beer, aqueous drinks........... 87

SECT. 20. Terms relating to Pharmaceutical Instruments.

Thermometer, syringes, sponges, rods, camel's-hair pen-

cils, funnels, bandages, splints, trusses, boxes, gallipots,

bottles, corks and bungs, papers.......

93

SECT. 21.-Terms relating to Surgical Instruments............... 97

SECT. 22.-Terms relating to Pharmaceutical Operations....... 97

CHAP. VI.-Nomenclature employed in Prescriptions. Scien-

tific, classical, and barbarous names. Origin of the no-

menclature now used in natural history and chemistry.

Advantages and disadvantages of the modern pharma-

ceutical nomenclature. Germs of a new nomenclature. 99

CHAP. VII.-Abbreviations and Contractions used in Pre-

scriptions. Dangers arising from the use of abbrevia-

tions. List of abbreviated names which refer to two or

more dissimilar substances. Directions for writing la-

bels for medicines. Table of abbreviations used in pre-

scriptions and pharmacy..

...... 104

CHAP. VIII.-Symbols or Signs used in Prescriptions. List

of those in most frequent use. Mistakes from the simi-

larity between the symbol for an ounce and that for a

drachm.........

........ 119

CHAP. IX.-On the Grammatical Construction of Prescrip-

tions:

1. Rules of Syntax. Concords.......

124

126

2. Grammatical Explanation of Prescriptions..... 130

CHAP. X.-On the Pronunciation of Pharmaceutical Terms... 135

SECT. 1.-Pronunciation of Letters. General rules. Excep-

tions....

136

SECT. 2.-Pronunciation of Syllables: Accent. English

mode of accenting Latin words. Rules usually followed. 140

SECT. 3.-Length or Quantity of Syllables or Vowels. En-

glish scholars do not usually retain in all cases the

Greek and Latin quantities in pronouncing Greek and

Latin words. General rules commonly followed.......... 142

Prosodiacal Vocabulary.....

146