PRESCEIPTION WRITING 87 



I. The basis, or active medicinal substance. 

 II. The adjuvant, or assistant. 

 III. The corrigent, or corrective. 

 IV. The excipient, vehicle, or menstruum. 



But we shall find that while such a classical arrange- 

 ment may exist in the text-books, we are usually content in 

 practice with the basis, together with a vehicle. The 

 classical arrangement is essential in order that the old Latin 

 motto be fulfilled : " Curare cito, tuto et jucunde.'' Curare — 

 to cure (the basis) ; cito — quickly (the adjuvant) ; ^w^o— safely 

 (the corrigent) ; Jucunde — pleasantly (the excipient). 



In a physic ball for horses we may employ aloes as a 

 basis ; calomel as an adjuvant ; ginger as a corrective ; 

 molasses as an excipient. More commonly in fluid prepara- 

 tions we prescribe several bases, or ingredients for curative 

 purposes, neglecting any adjuvant or corrigent and simply 

 using water as a vehicle. It is often of distinct advantage 

 to write for a combination of several drugs whose action 

 looks towards a common end. Yet one should always lean 

 to simplicity rather than complexity in the number of 

 ingredients. While it is difficult to avoid chemical antago- 

 nism, how much harder is it to prevent untoward physio- 

 logical combinations in the body, which we can in nowise 

 foretell. In olden times ignorance led practitioners to try 

 the effect of an enormous number of drugs, with the hope 

 that out of the charge one at least of the pellets in these 

 shot-gun prescriptions might strike the desired spot, if the 

 others failed to do so. But we now believe that the damage 

 done by all the shot which miss far surpasses the good 

 accomplished by the successful missile. Four hundred 

 different remedies are included in one of these old formulae, 

 whereas now it is rare to find four in a prescription. 



In relation to the third part of the prescription (the 

 directions to the compounder), we find that a few regulation 

 Latin phrases or words express these directions. If one is 

 unfamiliar with Latin, one can easily memorize these words 



