MATERIA MEDICA 

 THERAPEUTICS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



MATERIA MEDICA AND THERAPEUTICS relate to the 

 use of drugs in the treatment of disease. The place 

 which these subjects occupy in the Medical Sciences 

 lies, therefore, between Chemistry, Botany, Anatomy, 

 and Physiology on the one hand, and Medicine and 

 Surgery on the other hand ; whilst they stand side by 

 side with Pathology, the other stepping-stone from 

 the more purely scientific to the more strictly practical 

 portions of professional education. The student will 

 now be able to turn to account his acquaintance with 

 chemistry and biology, and to appreciate the fact that 

 these sciences are the true foundations of all profes- 

 sional knowledge ; and when he has reached the end 

 of the volume he may anticipate with some confidence 

 a personal introduction to the treatment of disease. 



Let us consider what subjects are comprised under 

 the title, u Materia Medica and Therapeutics." 



Ittateria medica. This term is applied to the) 

 materials or substances used in medicine, their nriiws, 

 sources, physical characters, and chemical properties 

 the preparations made from them, and the doses in. 

 which they may be given. 



Therapeutics relates to the treatment of di> 

 the word signifying healing, from Oepanevw, I <iff>'it\ 

 heal, or treat. It includes, therefore, all that ivlat's 

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