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P II A 
P H A 
PHAR'MACUM, f. \_^app.aMv, Gr.] A medicament, 
or medicine ; whether of falutary'or poifonous quality. 
PfIARMACU'SA, in ancient geography, an ifland of 
the iEgean Sea.—Alfo, the name of two fmall ilies, fiitua- 
ted near that of Salamina ; in the largeftof which, accord¬ 
ing to Strabo, was feen the tomb of Circe. 
PHAR'MACY, /’. [from <pu,^ax.ov, Gr. a medicine.] 
The art or prafitice of preparing medicines ; the trade of 
an apothecary: 
Each dole thegoddefs weighs with watchful eye. 
So nice her art in impious pharmacy . Garth. 
The history of pharmacy is already comprifed with 
that of other branches of medicine under the article Pa¬ 
thology, in the preceding volume. In a loofe fenfe, 
this word has been applied to the art of prefcribing medi¬ 
cines, or, more clofely, to the art of mixing them. The 
firSt, which belongs to the medical practitioner, involves 
an acquaintance with the theory and practice of phyfic on 
the one hand, and with the principles of chemistry on 
the other, and is in faft the ultimatum of the labours of 
the pathologist. 
The art of writiijg a prescription is of fome confequence 
to the medical practitioner ; for nearly every article in 
the materia medica may be improved in its effeCl by 
judicious combination. Firlt; Simples may be increafed 
in power by aflociation with articles Similar as to their 
effeCts. Thus fmall dofes of two or three different purges 
aft better than a large dofe of one; and this rule holds 
good alfo in regard to diuretics and other medicines 
which operate by increafmg fecretion ; but we have not 
obferved it to take place with narcotics or Sedatives. 
Secondly ; As many articles of the materia medica have 
twofold operations, one of which may not be requifite, or 
•may be hurtful; it is neceflary to covntera£t the aCtion 
of fome drugs. Hence we conjoin with the chief medicine 
•another having a property direCtly oppofed to the one we 
wifii to avoid. Thus, if calomel be indicated, and yet 
violent diarrhoea be prefent, we combine opium (which 
connteraCfs the purging quality of the calomel) with this 
medicine with advantage ; now this correcting of the 
fecondary operations of medicines is of very extenfive 
application in the art of prefcribing, both by its efteCt 
in preventing improper aCtion in the difeafed parts, 
and likewife in altering or correcting the naufeous tafte 
of fome medicines. Thirdly ; In writing a prescription 
it is highly important to know enough of pharmacy to 
prevent our ordering immifcible fubftances to be made up 
together. It is no lefs important alfo to know fo much of 
chemiftry as to prevent us from ordering the combination 
of Such Salts as can decompofe each other; always ex¬ 
cepting, of courfe, cafes in w'hich the new combinations 
enfuing have been found ufeful in practice. Fourthly; 
A plain and legible mode of writing prescriptions is to be 
attended to, ieeing that the phyfician Should leave no 
excule to his inferior coadjutor for negligence or inaccu¬ 
racy. The particular application of thefe rules are of 
courfe learnt by a knowledge of the individual articles of 
the materia medica and their officinal combinations ; for 
which fee the London Pharmacopoeia, and Dr. Paris’s Phar- 
macologia. 
The other divifon of pharmacy, viz. the mixture or 
eompofition of medicines,is a mere mechanical operation, 
which is indeed Sufficiently eafy, but which certainly 
requires much attention, on account of the formidable 
accidents which may follow the wrong preparation of a 
prescription. Hence it is regretted by Some that the prac¬ 
tice of pharmacy is not now in the hands of apothecaries 
who are its legitimate profeflbre, but is chiefly pradtifed 
by retail chemifts. 
Though pharmacy is a very Simple art, it requires, 
however, more attention than has been commonly paid to 
it: for, certainly, the Skilful combination of medicines 
does Supply the phyfician with many ufeful inffruments 
of cure. The chief points to be infilled on in pharmacy, 
are cleanlinefs and Scrupulous exadtnefs. The particular 
rules for each pharmaceutical combination, as pill, mix¬ 
ture, &c. are laid down in the London Pharmacopoeia, 
a book Sufficiently common. 
It muff be understood that, befides the mixing of me¬ 
dicines, pharmacopolifts alfo require to know how to 
prepare many fubftances by chemical proceffes ; hence it 
is important that they Should well understand Che¬ 
mistry. The chief operations are defcribed under that 
article, vol. iv. 
PHARMU'THI, in the Egyptian chronology, one of 
the months of their year, which anfwered to the month 
of April among the Romans. 
PHARNA'CES, a foil of Mithridates, king of Pontus, 
who favored the Romans againft his father; but, in the 
civil wars of Julius Crefarand Pompey, heinterefted him- 
felf for neither of the contending parties, upon which 
Caefar turned his arms againft him, and conquered him. 
It was to exprefs the celerity of his operations in con¬ 
quering Pharnaces, that Casfar’s celebrated letter to the 
Senate, “Veni, vidi, vici,” was written, A.U. C. 707. 
See Pontus. 
PHARNA'CEUM, f. [a name taken from Pliny, faid 
to have been given to fome plant in honour of its difco- 
verer Pharnaces, fon of Mithridates king of Pontus. 
But what the ancient Pharnaceum was, though its dried 
root is reported to have improved the flavour of wine, 
commentators have conjectured in vain. We may ven¬ 
ture to aflert it has nothing to do with the prefent Lin- 
nasan genus; nor can we guefs at the motive for its 
application to a fet of plants almoft deftitute of any 
fenfible qualities.] In botany, a genus of the clafs pen- 
tandria, order tryginia, natural order of caryophyllei. 
Generic characters— Calyx : perianthium five-leaved ; 
leaflets fubovate, concave, fpreading, equal, permanent, 
coloured within, having a thin edge. Corolla none; 
hence the edge of the calyx is thin, and the infide of it is 
coloured. Stamina: filaments five, awl-fliaped, the length 
of the calyx; antherae bifid at the bafe. Piftillum : germ 
ovate, three-cornered ; Styles three, filiform, the length of 
the Stamens ; Stigmas blunt. Pericarpium : capfule ovate, 
obfoletely three-cornered, covered, three-celled, three- 
valved. Seeds numerous, Shining, orbicular, depreSTed, 
Surrounded by a fnarp rim.— Effential Char after. Calyx 
five-leaved; corolla none; capl’ule three-celled, many- 
feeded. There are fourteen fpecies. 
1. Pharnaceum cervia.na, or umbelled pharnaceum: 
peduncles fubnmbelled, lateral; equalling the linear leaves. 
This is an annual plant, differing from Moilugo in little 
elfe than the number of Stamens. Capfule ovate, thin, 
obfoletely three-grooved, Slightly puftuled by the project¬ 
ing feeds; partitions in the middle of the valves. Seeds 
eight or ten in each ceil, fmall, roundifn, beaked, marked 
on the back with a Single filiform Streak, very fmocth and 
Shining, of a rufous-ferruginous colour; fastened by very 
Short umbilical cords to the central angle of the cells. 
Native of Ruffia and Spain. Introduced in 1771, by 
Monf. Richard. It flowers in June. 
2. Pharnaceum lineare, or linear-leaved pharnaceum : 
umbels unequal;, leaves linear, in remote oppositions. 
Plant larger than Sperguia arvenfis. Stem even, proftrate, 
jointed with knobbed knots, dichotomoufly-branched. 
Leaves feveral, blunt, even, in whorls. Umbels peduncled, 
terminating and lateral, folitary, irregular. Native of the 
Cape of Good Hope. 
3. Pharnaceum teretifolium, or round-leaved pharna¬ 
ceum : leaves filiform, mucronate ; umbels lateral; Stem 
ereCr, frutefcent. 4. Pharnaceum mycrophyilum, or 
fmall-leaved pharnaceum: tomentofe; peduncles um¬ 
belled; leaves ovate, roundish, obtufe, interwoven with 
wool. 5. Pharnaceum marginatum, or bordered pharna¬ 
ceum : leaves.ovate, margined, blunt; flowers axillary, 
feffile. Thefe are all natives of the Cape. 
6. Pharnaceum fpergula, or bedllraw-pharnaceum : 
peduncles one-flowered, lateral; flowers the length of 
the leaves; Item deprelfed. Root annual. Stems herba¬ 
ceous, procumbent, dichotomous, jointed, round, even. 
Leaves 
