LATIN FOR PHARMACISTS

BY

GEORGE HOWE,
AND

PH. D.

PROFESSOR OF LATIN, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

JOHN GROVER BEARD,

PH. G.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHARMACY, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

PHILADELPHIA
P.

BLAKISTON'S SON & CO.

1012

WALNUT STREET

LESSONS
IN

PHARMACEUTICAL LATIN
AND

PRESCRIPTION WRITING
AND

INTERPRETATION
BY

HUGH

C.

MULDOON,

Pn.G.

PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

TOTAL

ISSUE, FIVE

THOUSAND

NEW YORK

JOHN WILEY & SONS,

LONDON:

INC.

CHAPMAN

& HALL,

LIMITED

LATIN FOR PHARMACISTS

BY

GEORGE HOWE,
AND

PH. D.

PROFESSOR OF LATIN, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

JOHN GROVER BEARD,

PH. G.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHARMACY, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

PHILADELPHIA
P.

BLAKISTON'S SON & CO.

1012

WALNUT STREET

PART TWO
REFERENCE
LISTS,

WORD

STUDIES, ETC.

ABBREVIATIONS
It is a common practice among physicians to abbreviate all Latin words possible except in cases where confusion may result. The abbreviations in use include the names of ingredients, amounts, directions to the pharmacist, and even the phrases used

which were formerly written in Latin. There are no established abbreviations for the names of drugs: they should be written out in full to avoid the possibility of serious error. A
in the signature

complete

list of

the established abbreviations follows. Lathi

English
of each in the absence of fever

Abbreviation

!
abs. febr.

ana
absente febre
acerbus, -a,

acerb.
acet.
ad.,

-um

sour

add ad 2 vie. ad grat. acid. ad lib. admov. ad sec. vie.

adst. febr.

acetum adde ad duas vices ad gratam acidatatem ad libitum

vinegar

add in two doses to an agreeable sourness

at pleasure

admove ad secundum vicem

adstante febre

apply
to the second time
in the presence of fever' to the third time

ad

ter. vie.

adv.
aeq.

ad tertiam vincem adversum

aequales
aggrediente febre
agita agitato vase
73

against

aggred. febr.
agit.
agit. vas.

equal on the approach of fever shake

the vial being shaken

74
Abbreviation

LATIN FOR PHARMACISTS

REFERENCE
Abbreviation
cito disp.

LISTS,

WORD

STUDIES, ETC.
English
let it

75

Latin
cito dispensatur

be dispensed quickly

coch. coch.

cochleare

spoonful

amp.

cochleare

amplum

dessertspoonful

coch. infant.

cochleare infantis
cochleare cochleare

teaspoonful
tablespoonful
dessertspoonful

coch. mag. coch. med. (mod.)

coch. parv.
coct.
col.

magnum
medium (modparvum

icum)
cochleare
coctio cola

teaspoonful
boiling strain
of the strained liquor

colatur.
colat.

colaturae
colatus, -a,

-um

strained
collodion

collod.
collut.
collyr., coll.

collodium
collutorium

mouth-wash
eye-wash
-a,

collyrium

comp.
conf.

compositus,
confectio

-um

compounded
confection
gallon

cong.
cons. cons.

congius conserva

keep
a conserve
dust, sprinkle
let it

conserva
consperge continuetur

consperg.
contin.
cont. rem.

be continued

continuantur remedia

let

the medicine be con-

tinued
boil coque coq. ad med. con- coque ad medietatis con- boil to the consumption of half sump. sumptionem

coq.

'

coc. in S. A.

coque

in

sufficiente boil in a sufficient

quan-

quantitate aquae
coq. S. A.
cort.

tity of

water

coque secundum artem

cortex
crastinus, -a,

boil according to art

bark, peel

crast.
cuj.

-um

tomorrow's
of

cujus

which

cyath. vinar.

cyathus vinarius
dosis

wineglassful

D. D.
deaur.
pil.

dose
give let the pills be gilded

da
deaurentur pilulae

76

LATIN FOR PHARMACISTS

Abbreviation

Latin
debeta spissitudo decanta

English
a proper consistence

deb. spiss.
dec.

pour
lying

off

decoct,

decoctum
decubitus,
-a,

decoction
-urn

decub.

down

de

d. in

de

de die in diem
deglutiatur

deglut. dieb. alt.

dieb. tert.

from day to day let it be swallowed

every other day every third day
into

diebus alternis diebus

tertiis

D.
dil. dil.

in p. aeq.

dividatur in partes aeq- let it be divided uales equal parts

dilue
dilutus, -a,

dilute

-um

diluted
at daybreak one-half

diluc.

diluculo

dim.

D.
D.

P., direc. prop.

dimidius, -a, -um directione propria

with proper directions

disp.
t.

d.

No. iv

dispensa dentur tales doses

ero quattuor divide

num-

dispense let four such doses be

given
divide

div.
div.

dividendus,

-a,

-um

to be divided
until

don.
dur. dolor. ead.
ed.

donee durante dolore

eadem
edulcoratus, -a,

the pain continuing the same

-um

ejusd.
elect.
elix.

ejusdem
electuarium
elixir

edulcorated, sweetened of the same

electuary
elixir

emp.
emuls.
en.

emplastrum

plaster

emulsum enema
epistomium
exhibeatur

emulsion

enema, clyster
stopper
let it

epistom.
exhib.
e.

be exhibited
the

m., p.

ex

modo

prescripto

after

manner

pre-

scribed
ext. ext. sup. alut. moll.

extende extende
super

spread

alutam spread on

soft leather

mollem

REFERENCE
Abbreviarion
extr., ext.

LISTS,

WORD

STUDIES, ETC.
English
extract

77

Latin

extractum
fac, fiat, fiant

F.

make,
flour

let it

be made,

let

them be made
far.

farina

feb. dur.

febre durante

the fever continuing

boiling

ferv.
fl.,

fervens
fluidus, -a,

fld.

-um

fluid, liquid let it

F. L. A.

fiat lege artis

be made according

to the art
flav.

flavus, -a,

-um

yellow
fluidextract
leaf
fruit

fldext.
fol.

fluidextractum
folius

fruct.
frust.

fructus
frustillatim
fiat

in little pieces
artis reg- let it

F. S. A. R.

secundum

be made according

ulas
ft. ft.
ft.

to the rules of the art

let let

cataplasm,
cerat.

fiat fiat

cataplasma ceratum
collyrium

a poultice be made a cerate be made

papers be

chart,

fiant chartae
fiat

let let

made

ft. collyr.
ft.

confec.

fiat confectio fiat

fiat

ft. elect,

electuarium

ft.
ft. ft. ft.

emp.
emuls.
garg.
h.
infus.
inject,

emplastrum

fiat

emulsum
gargarisma haustus

fiat
fiat fiat

ft.
ft.

infusum linimentum
mistura

fiat injectio
fiat fiat fiat

ft.
ft.
ft.

linim.

m.

(mist.)

mas.

massa

ft. pil. ft.

ft. ft.

fiant pilulae
fiat pulvis fiat solutio

pulv.
solut.

an eye-wash be made let a confection be made let an electuary be made let a plaster be made let an emulsion be made let a gargle be made let a draught be made let an infusion be made let an injection be made let a liniment be made let a mixture be made let a mass be made let pills be made let a powder be made let a solution be made
let suppositories let let

suppos.
troch.

fiant suppositoria
fiant trochisci
fiat

ft.
ft.

ung.

unguentum

be made be made lozenges an ointment be made

LATIN FOR PHARMACISTS

Abbreviation
garg.
glyct.
gr. (grn.)

Latin

grat.
gtt.

guttat.

H.
habt.
bar. pil. sum. iv.

haust.

H. D.
hor. interim, hor. un. spat.

H.

S.

inc.

in d.
inf.

infus.
injec.
int.

jent.

jux.
lat. dol.
lin.

liq.

lot.

M.
M., min. mac.

mag.
mas.
mens., mensur. mic. pan.

minut.
mist.

REFERENCE
Abbreviation

LISTS,

WORD

STUDIES, ETC.

79

8o
Abbreviation

LATIN FOR PHARMACISTS

REFERENCE
Abbreviation

LISTS,

WORD

STUDIES, ETC.

8l

LESSONS
IN

PHARMACEUTICAL LATIN
AND

PRESCRIPTION WRITING
AND

INTERPRETATION
BY

HUGH

C.

MULDOON,

Pn.G.

PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

TOTAL

ISSUE, FIVE

THOUSAND

NEW YORK

JOHN WILEY & SONS,

LONDON:

INC.

CHAPMAN

& HALL,

LIMITED

APPENDIX
186

ABBREVIATIONS
or Phrase.

Term

116

LESSONS IN PHARMACEUTICAL LATIN

or Phrase.

Term

APPENDIX
Term
or Phrase.

117

118

LESSONS IN PHARMACEUTICAL LATIN

or Phrase. Abbreviation,

Term

Ne

tradas sine

nummo,

ne

tr.

sin.

num.

Nocte,

noct.
noct. maneq. non rep.

Nocte maneque,

Meaning. Cash on delivery. At night. Night and morning.

Non repetatur,
Obduce.
Octarius,

Do not repeat.
Coat.

Obducatur,

obduc.

Cover.

Let

be

Oleum,

Omni hora, Omni mane vel nocte, Omni tertia hora,

Omni
quarta hora,

APPENDIX
Term
or Phrase.

119

120

LESSONS IN PHARMACEUTICAL LATIN

or Phrase.

Term
Viridis,
Volatffls,

Abbreviation.
vir.

Meaning.
Green.
Volatile.

vol.
zz.

Zingiber,

Ginger.

187.

TOPICS FOR CLASS DISCUSSION

Is the use of English preferable to that of Latin for prescription writing in the United States? Why?

How would you proceed if you were

tion having

asked to

fill

a prescrip-

an inscription correctly written in Latin, but a subscription written in a language that you were unable to
fill

interpret? Is it proper to

other than the one for

a prescription for the use of a person whom it was originally intended?

Why?
would you proceed if you were in doubt as to the deciphering of an ingredient or an amount?

How

What are the objections, if any, to the refilling of a prescription without the physician's knowledge?
dose?

What points should be considered What would be the method

Would
it

in determining an overof procedure if an ap-

parent overdose were detected?

If a quantity were omitted? be proper to furnish the patient with a copy of a prescription covered by the Harrison Law? Would you dispense such a prescription if the date were lacking?

Is it permissible for a pharmacist to make alterations or additions to a prescription? Explain. What objections, if any, to the use of a "Poison" label on

a preparation for internal use, specified that it shall be used?

when

the physician has not

Would you
tion

which

fulfilled all of

dispense an ounce of morphine on a prescrip" the requirements of the Harrison

Law "

as to date, signature, etc. ?