30 
REPORT RELATIVE TO PHYSICIANS' PRESCRIPTIONS. 
it would be contrary to the wish of the physician, or attended "with 
injurious consequences. In other cases he should use his own judg- 
ment. 
6th. Physicians being often unacquainted with practical pharma- 
cy, pay little attention to the order in which the several articles 
entering into a prescription are arranged, with the view to facili- 
tate the operations of dispensing. It hence becomes the first duty 
of the apothecary carefully to read the prescription and fix the 
proper order in his mind. He should, at the same time, acquire 
the habit of considering the quantities ordered in relation to the 
usual doses, and, also, the genera] bearing of the prescription; and 
a constant resort to to this practice, based on due knowledge, must 
almost inevitably detect mistakes, if any have been made. 
7th. Apothecaries should accustom their assistants to study pre- 
scriptions in this light, and to acquire such a knowledge of the 
doses and therapeutical uses of medicines as shall serve to guide 
them in avoiding errors. 
8th. The apothecary, when engaged in dispensing a prescription, 
should, as far as possible, avoid mental preoccupation, and give his 
attention fully to his task. He should acquire the habit of always 
examining the label of the bottle before using its contents, and he 
should satisfy himself that he has read the prescribed quantity 
correctly, by referring to the prescription anew before weighing 
out each article. It is also, a useful precaution to have bottles con- 
taining mineral or vegetable poisons, distinguished by some pro- 
minent mark. 
9th. As the conscientious discharge of his duty should be the 
aim of every apothecary, seeing that on his correct action depends, 
in no slight degree, the usefulness of the physician, no pains should 
be spared to secure the efficiency of the medicines dispensed, 
whether they be drugs or preparations. The latter should always 
be prepared of full strength, and according to the formulae recog- 
nized by the United States Pharmacopoeia, unless when otherwise 
specially ordered. 
10th. The apothecary should always label, and number correctly, 
all medicine dispensed by him on the prescription of a physician ; 
he should, also, invariably, transcribe on the label, in a plain legi- 
ble hand-writing, the name of the patient, the date of theprescrip- 
tion, the directions intended for the patient, and the name or the 
initials of the prescribes 
