PBESCRIPTION WRITING 101 



Or : M. et facbolos viii. (abbrev.) M. et f. bolos viii. 



Translated : Mix and make balls 8. * 



Mixtures are compounds in which fluids are mixed or 

 solids dissolved or held in suspension by a suitable vehicle, 

 We must first decide upon the number of doses which we 

 wish to prescribe, and then the quantity of the mixture to 

 be given at each dose. 



Suppose we wish to give sweet spirit of nitre and 

 quinine to a horse. We conclude to give the mixture three 

 times daily for several days. The dose of the nitrous ether 

 will be an ounce; the quinine will be dissolved in it. 

 Bottles are in use containing 12 to 16 ounces, or 1 pint. We 

 will decide upon the pint bottle. This, then, will hold 16 

 ounces, or 16 doses of sweet spirit of nitre. In each dose of 

 the nitre we want dissolved gr.20 of quinine sulphate. 

 16 X gr.20 = gr.320 = 3 v. 3i. Now, 5 drachms of 

 quinine sulphate will not dissolve in 16 ounces of sweet 

 spirit of nitre, so that we will add enough diluted sulphuric 

 acid to dissolve the quinine. We do not know how much 

 sulphuric acid will be required, so we write after acid sul- 

 phuric, Q. S., for quantum sufiiciat, ^.6., as much as suffices 

 (to dissolve, understood). 



Again, we do not know exactly how much bulk the 

 quinine will take up when dissolved in the nitre ; nor what 

 amount of acid will be required. Yet, on the other hand, 

 we want to fill our bottle. To get over these difficulties we 

 will write after sweet spirit of nitre ad, underlined (to) ; in 

 other words, we order the druggist to take of sweet spirit of 

 nitre enough to (make, understood) a pint. 



The Latin for quinine, is quinina^ genitive quinin-ce, of 

 quinine. The Latin • for sulphate is sulpJias, genative stil- 

 phat-is, of sulphate. The Latin for spirit of nitrous ether 

 is spiritus, genitive spiritus, of spirit ; nitrosus, genitive 

 nitros-t, of nitrous ; cether, genitive ctther-iSf of ether. The 

 Latin for sulphuric acid diluted is acidum, genitive acid-% 

 of acid; sulphuricu^, genitive sulphuric-i, of sulphuric; 

 dilutus, genitive dilut-i, of diluted. 



