52 PRESCRIPTION WRITING 



quantities, followed by the Eoman numerals for the required amount. 

 Arabic numbers should not be used except to express fractions other 

 than one-half. 



GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS 



The heading, inscription, and frequently the subscription, are 

 written in Latin. A limited knowledge of this subject will enable 

 one to write prescriptions properly. The Latin names of the drugs 

 will be learned in Materia Medica and the principal difficulties will 

 be in forming the correct endings of the ingredients and the direc- 

 tions to the pharmacist. 



The following rules taken from Mann's Manual should enable one 

 to write proper prescriptions : 



EuLE I. The noun expressing the name of the medicine is put 

 in the genitive case when the quantity of it is to be expressed. 



EuLE II. If no quantity is expressed but a numeral adjective 

 follows, the noun is put in the accusative. 



EuLE III. The quantity is put in the accusative case governed 

 by the imperative Recipe. 



EuLE IV. Adjectives agree with these nouns in gender, number 

 and case. 



The accusative of the quantity is rarely written out in full, but is 

 expressed by symbols. These rules may be illustrated by a literal 

 translation of the following prescription : 



]? Tincturse Opii §j (unciam unam) 

 Take Thou 



of the Tincture of Opium one ounce. 



RULES FOR FORMATION OF GENITIVE CASE 



(Mann's Manual) 



I. All nouns ending in a form the genitive in ce, as quinina, quin- 

 inee. Exceptions — Physostigma, Physostigmatis, Coca is un- 

 changed. Folia is plural, Genitive Foliorum. 



II. All nouns ending in us, um, os, on, form the genitive in i as 

 Conium, Conii. Exceptions — Rhus, gen. Rhoisj Flos, gen. Floris; 

 Erigeron, gen. Erigerontisj Fructus, Comus, Quercus, Spiritus, do 

 not change. 



III. All other nouns of whatever termination make the genitive 

 in s, or is, chloral, gen. chloralis. Some lengthen the termination 

 thus: 



as genitive atis as Acetas, Acetatis. 



is genitive idis as Anthemis, Anthemidis. 



genitive onis as Pepo, Peponis. 



X genitive cis as Cortex, Corticis. 



