74 PRESCRIPTION WRITING 



Wine Measure. 



Measure Sign Latin Name 



Gallon C or Cong. Congius 



Pint O Octarius 



Fluidounce f§ Fluida Uncia 



Fluiddram f3 Fluida Drachma 



Minim ni Minimum 



A drop is often used synonymously with minim, which is correct if 

 the substqnce spoken of is water, or a liquid of nearly similar density. If 

 the liquid is not of similar density, then a minim, or the sixtieth part of 

 a dram, is far from being a drop as measured by dropping a liquid from 

 any ordinary utensil. Any amount from 45 drops to 276 drops, meas- 

 ured in this way, may be obtained from a dram of fluid, according to its 

 density, mode of dropping, and kind of vessel from which it is dropped. 



A gutta (gtt.), then, is of no fixed value, but means a drop as 

 dropped from a vessel; while a minim is always the sixtieth part of a 

 dram. 



RELATIVE VALUE OP UNITS IN THE WINE MEASURE. 



The abbreviation, fl., is usually omitted in prescription writing, as 

 referring to fluids, the character of the preparation being sufficiently 

 apparent. The Roman numerals are used to express the quantities em- 

 ployed when the apothecaries' system is used; when the metric system is 

 employed Arabic numerals are used. The Roman numerals are written 

 under a horizontal line, the i's or j's are dotted (they are identical in 

 Latin) and the dot serves to enforce and check the numbers used. Frac- 

 tions are usually expressed in ordinary Arabic characters, except %, 

 which is often indicated by a double s (ss), standing for semis, the Latin 

 for one-half. 



When the apothecaries' (or troy) system is used the symbol precedes 

 the Roman numerals ; when the metric system is used the Arabic numerals 

 precede the abbreviation of the unit. 



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