72 PRESCRIPTION WRITING 



A prescription, derived from the Latin prae, before, and scriptum, 

 written, comes to us from the early custom of physicians in writing down 

 their advice beforehand for their patients' guidance. As now used it is 

 the written formula of the practitioner describing to the pharmacist the 

 manner of compounding and dispensing medicines, and to the attendant 

 the mode of administering them. 



Formulas are official when simply taken from the "United States 

 Pharmacopeia," and extemporaneous when concocted offhand by the prac- 

 titioner. Extemporaneous formulae are simple when composed of one 

 ingredient; a compound prescription is composed of several parts, which 

 may be considered as follows : 



I. Heading. 

 II. Names and quantities of drugs. 



III. Direction to compounder. 



IV. Direction to attendant. 

 V. Signature of writer. 



The heading, "Recipe," is derived from the Latin, the imperative of 

 the verb meaning to take, and is ordinarily represented by the sign ^, a 

 corruption of 11, the sign of the zodiac for Jupiter. After the Christian 

 era the sign of the cross was used, or N. D., for Nomine Deo, in God's 

 name; J. D. for Juvane Deo, meaning God helping, etc. We have now 

 reverted to the old sign, which is all that remains of an appeal to Jupiter. 

 This symbol seems to put the practitioner, even if involuntarily, into a 

 position of reverence in thus offering a prayer in embryo (the old physi- 

 cians also wrote one) whenever one writes a prescription. The custom 

 also suggests that we are not yet sufficiently sure of our materia medica 

 after all these centuries, to sacrifice the efficacy of prayer. 



In regard to the names and quantities of drugs, we find in the text- 

 books that one should always strive after a classical arrangement, where- 

 by four ingredients are essential to accomplish any result. These include : 



I. The basis, or active medicinal substance. 

 II. The adjuvant, or assistant. 



III. The corrlgent, or corrective. . 



IV. The excipient, vehicle, or menstruum. 



But we shall find that while such a classical arrangement may exist 

 in the text-books, we are usually content in practice with the basis, to- 

 gether 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) ; tuto — 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 preparations 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. 



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