SM 



PRESBYTERY 



PRESCRIPTION 



Tke Plea of Presbytery (1S40); Miller, Manual of 

 Pmkftfr/i (184-'); Smyth. Presbytery the Scriptural 

 Polity (1843); King, Chunk Oortnmnt (1854); Mao- 

 pbenon, I'mbytmanum (1883); Kaniierwan. Worthip 

 of the Presbyterian Church (1884); Coiw<i/ii<km and 

 lav of the Chunk of Scotland (1884); Witherow, Form 

 of the Christian Ttmplt (1889); Killen, The Frame- 

 wort of Ike Chunk (1890); work on the Wentminrter 

 Anetubly and iU Confenion of Faith by Hetlierington 

 (new el 18111), Hodge (1869). Macphenon (1881), 

 Mitchell (1807, 1883, 1886). See alio the article* in 

 hn work on CALVIX, KNOX, ASSEMBLY (GEWEEAL), 

 ELDRH. Cm-Hen HISTORY, KKFOBMATIDN, CONFESSIONS, 

 WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY. For Presbyterian muwiuns, 

 we MISSIONS. For Prebyterianim in Kwland. MM 

 Madhe, A*nalt of Knglisk Presbytery ( 1872) ; Dmdale'i 

 History of Uu Presbyterians in Kayland ( 188 ) ; Minutes 

 of the Manehritrr Presbyterian Classis (Chftham Society, 

 part l-iii. 1890-91). For Ireland, see IRELAND; also 

 Reid. Hitiory of the Pnsbtiterian Chunk in Ireland 

 (1807); Irwin, Iritk Presbyterianism (1890). For 

 America, we Webster, History of the Prriliytrruin 

 Churrhes in America (1857); Gillett, ffiitory of the 

 Presbyterian Church in the United State* ( 1864) ; Ameri- 

 can Presbyterianism (1885). 



Presbytery. For presbytery as a part of 

 Presbyterian church government, see the preceding 

 article. In ecclesiastical architecture the presby- 

 tery is the space in the choir of a church in which 

 the high altar is placed ; the name is sometimes 

 extended to the whole choir. 



Prescot, a manufacturing town of Lancashire, 

 8 miles E. by N. of Liverpool. It has manufactures 

 (inlioduced from Yorkshire in 1730) of watch- 

 movements, watch-tools, Hinall files, \r., and tliere 

 are potteries near it. Prescot was the birthplace 

 of John Kemble. Pop. ( 1851 ) 7393 ; ( 1891 ) t>74.~>. 



Prescott, a city of Arizona, lies in a pictu- 

 resque mountain-valley, some 0000 feet above the 

 sea-level, 137 miles by rail NN\V. of I'lio-nix, the 

 capital of the territory ; mountains of friiin 7000 feet 

 to 10,000 feet altitude nearly surround it. Gold 

 ami silver are found in the neighbourhood, and 

 daily lines of the I'nited States Mail ( 'ouches con- 

 nect it with the numerous mining camps round 

 about. Besides bullion, it has a trade in lumber 

 and wool Pop. ( 1880 ) 1836 ; ( 1900 ) 3559. 



PresCOtt. WILLIAM HlCKLINO, historian, was 

 tiorn at Salem, Massachusetts, May 4, 1796. 

 His father was a prosperous lawyer; his grand- 

 father, Colonel William Prescott (1720-95), was 

 a distinguished soldier in the Revolution, to 

 whose memory a statue was erected mi Itunker Hill 

 in 1881. He entered Harvard College in 1811, and 

 graduated iii 1814. Early in his college course he 

 had his left eye blinded by a piece of bread play 

 fully thrown by a fellow-student, ami the other 

 wits soon sympathetically affected, so that he was 

 obliged to live for months in a darkened room. He 

 next travelled in England, France, and Italy, 

 married in 1820, and abandoned the study of law 

 for literature. He now devoted himself to severe 

 study, ami formed splendid literary projects, in 

 spite" of the grievous disadvantage of Iteing able 

 only to use his remaining eye for brief periods. Ili- 

 first studies were in Italian literature, and it was 

 not till the beginning of 1826 that he had found 

 the work of his life within the range of Spanish 

 history. Fortunately his means were ample, so 

 that lie was able to procure the services of 

 assistants, and to live amid conditions of comfort. 

 By constant habit he gained the power of carrying 

 A great deal in his memory, and after he had 

 revolved the whole of a chapter in his mind he 

 quickly transferred it to jm|H>r by means of his 

 stylus and an ingenious writing case specially con- 

 structed for the blind. His first secretary knew 

 no Spanish, yet he went through the seven quarto 

 volumes of 'Mariana's History with him. So he 



lalmured with almost unexampled courage and 

 patience at his History of Ferdinand and Isa- 

 bella (3 vols. Boston, 1838), which quickly carried 

 his name across the ocean to the Old World, 

 and was straightway translated into French, 

 Spanish, and German. He next devoted M\ 

 years to the History of the Conquest of Mexico 

 (3 vols. 1843), and four years to the Conquest 

 of Peru (2 vols. 1847). fbese works deservedly 

 brought him a great reputation : he was chosen 

 a corresponding member of the French Institute, 

 and on a visit to Europe in 1850 was received 

 with the highest distinction. In 1855 he published 

 two volumes of his History of 1'liilip //., and a 

 third volume in 1858, but died of apoplexy before 

 its close at Boston, January 28, 1859. Prescott's 

 style alone would have assured him popularity, 

 and to this day he remains unrivalled among 

 Knglish historians for vigorous and direct narrat i\ > 

 and for sustained splendour of colour. His im.-igina- 

 tion worked all the more freely because he saw but 

 with the inward eye, and the splendid visions that 

 it wove gave his pages the vivid colours of reality 

 and life. He is not a philosophical historian, but 

 he is a master of narrative and incident, and there 

 is not a dull passage in all his histories. 



See the complete edition of Preacott'a works in 15 

 volumei by his secretary, J. Foster Kirk ( 1884 ; new ed. 

 1889); and the Life of him by Goorge Ticknor (1864; 

 new ed. Loud. 1875 ). 



Prescription i* the written direction given by 

 physician i>r surgeon to the chemist, and may di> 

 maud an officinal or an extemporaneous compound. 

 (Mliciual oomponadc (or preparations, as they aie 

 frequently termed) are those for which formula 

 are introduced into the national pharmacopeia*, 

 and are therefore supposed to lie always at hai ,d 

 in the lalMiratory of the dispensing chemist (such, 

 for example, as Mistura terri l'<niifuixit<i, J'ti/ni 

 iKiiihfe Comjxigitua i.e. Dover'sVowder Con- 

 Snlphiiris, iX:c.) ; while extcmpoiancous com 

 pounds are those which are devised on the instant 

 with the view of meeting the various peculiarity s 

 which almost every case of disease presents. In 

 some cases, where no chemical action is apparent 

 or prolwble, a mixture of two or more drugs seems 

 to modify the physiological effect of each ingredi- 

 ent. For example, Dover's Powder contains M> its 

 active ingredients ipecacuanha and opium, and \ >-t 

 in well-regulated doses it neither exhibits the 

 nauseating pro)>erties of the former nor the nar- 

 cotic influence of the latter substance. The selec- 

 tion of the most eligible form of the remedy is of 

 extreme importance. The physician here has to 

 determine whether he shall prescrilie bis remedy 

 in the form of pill, powder, or mixture; whether 

 lie shall administer it as an injection into the lower 

 bowel ; whether the patient shall (in certain cases) 

 inhale it ; itc. As a general rule we should accom- 

 modate the form and llavour of our remedies, pro- 

 vided we do not sacrifice their virtues, to the taste 

 of the patient, who usually prefers pills to draughts 

 or powders. The unpleasant taste of many medi- 

 cines which must be given in the fluid form may 

 often be obviated by the. skill of the pnwsribw. 

 Castor-oil, cod-liver oil, and copaiba an- most i nsily 

 taken on the surface of orange- wine, or water con- 

 taining a bitter tincture, cure being taken to moisten 

 with water the edge or rim of the glass at the part 

 applied to the mouth. The taste of solution of 

 potash and of lime-water is best covered with 

 milk ; and the disagreeable flavour of senna is said 

 to lie concealed if its infusion is made with strong 

 ten, 



In conclusion it may be remarked that it is 

 the custom to write prescriptions in the Latin 

 language, to abbreviate well-known words, to 

 use symbols for weights and measures, and to 



