Synopsis of Veterinary Materia Medica 

 and Therapeutics. 



ATERIA MEDICA.— Treats of substances used as 

 medicine, their origin, composition, physical 

 characteristics and ,chemical properties, their 

 methods of preparation and administration, their 

 dose, physiological and toxicological action. 



Toxicology. — Teaches the effects of drugs when adminis- 

 tered in poisonous doses, also their antagonists and chemical 

 antidotes. A toxic dose is a dose sufficient to produce poison- 

 ing. A lethal dose is a fatal dose. 



Physiological Action. — Is the definite and limited action of 

 a drug upon some part of the organism, intended to antagonize 

 or overcome a particular pathological condition. 



Therapeutics. — Teaches of the use of remedial agents in the 

 various morbid conditions of the animal economy; they are: I. 

 Medicinal; 2. Mechanical; 3. Surgical; 4. Hygienic or prophy- 

 lactic, as food, clothing, pure air, etc. ; 5. Imponderable, as heat, 

 cold and electricity. 



Pharmacology. — Or the doctrine of drugs, is a science which 

 treats of the drugs employed in medicine ; it embraces, therefore, 

 in its scope all of materia medica and therapeutics relating to 

 drugs. 



Pharmacy. — Relates to the art of collecting, preparing and 

 dispensing medicine. 



The term official preparations is applied to such remedies 

 as are authorized by the U. S. Pharmacopoeia (in this country), 

 and directed by it to be kept in the shops, officinal, so com- 

 monly used as to be found in all drug stores, but not official. 



Pharmacopoeia. — Is a book containing directions for the 

 preparation of medicines, with the object of uniformity of nomen- 

 clature, preparation and strength of such drugs as may be gen- 

 erally used. 



Dispensatory. — Differs from a pharmacopoeia in containing 

 the physical and medical history of the various substances, phy- 

 siological and toxicological action and therapeutic application 



