ABBREVIATIONS IN COMMON USE. The practitioner will frequently have occasion to employ some of the following abbreviations in his prescriptions, while others confront him in the course of his medical reading. They are generally derived from the Latin: R (Recipe). Take. Aa (ana). Of each. Abs. febr. (absente febre). In the absence of fever. Ad. To (as, ad f3iij, sufficient to amount to three fluidounces). Ad. or adde. Add or let there be added. Ad deliq. (ad deliquium). To fainting. Ad lib. (ad libitum). At will or pleasure. Altern. hor. (alternis horis). Every other hour. Aq. (aqua). Water. Aq. bull. (aqua bulliens). Boiling water. Aq. dest. (aqua destillata). Aq. ferv. (aqua fervens). Distilled water. Hot water. Aq. fluv. (aqua fluvialis). River water. Aq. font. (aqua fontis or fontana). Spring water. Aq. marin. (aqua marina). Sea water. Aq. pluv. (aqua pluvialis). Rain water. Baln. aren. or B. A. (Balneum arena). Sand-bath. Bib. (bibe). Drink. Bis ind. (bis indies). Twice a day. Bol. Bolus. Bull. (bulliens). Boiling. (Bulliat). Let it boil. C. or Cent. Centigrade (thermometric scale). Chart. (charta or chartula). A powder. Cochl. ampl. (cochleare amplum). A large spoonful. Collyr. (collyrium). An eye-wash. Comp. (compositus). Compound. Conf. (confectio). Confection. Cont. (continuetur). Let it be continued. Decoct. (decoctum). Decoction. Decub. (decubitus). Lying down. Dej. alv. (dejectiones alvi). Passages from the bowels. est. (destillatus). Distilled. Det. (detur). Let it be given. Dieb. altern. (diebus alternis). Every other day. Dieb. tert. (diebus tertiis). Every third day. Dig. (digeratur). Let it be digested. Dil. (dilutus). Diluted. (Dilue). Dilute. Dim. (dimidius). One-half. Div. (divide). Divide. Drach. (drachma). A drachm. Elec. (electuarium). Electuary. Enem. Enema. Exhib. (exhibeatur). Let it be exhibited. F. pil. (fiat pilula). Let a pill be made. Fah. or Fahr. Fahrenheit (thermometric scale). Ft. haust. (fiat haustus). Let a draught be made. Gr. (granum). A grain. Gt. (gutta). A drop. Gtt. (gutta). Drops. Guttat. (guttatim). By drops. Haust. (haustus). A draught. Hor. decub. (horâ decubitûs). At bedtime. H. S. (hora somni). At bedtime. Imp. meas. Imperial measure. Inf. (infunde). Infuse. Infus. (infusum). Infusion. Inj. (injiciatur). Let it be injected. Lb. (libra). A pound. Lib. (libra or libra). A pound or pounds. Llb. (libra). Pounds. Liq. (liquor). Solution. M. (misce). Mix. Mac. (macera). Macerate. Mic. pan. (mica panis). Bread crumb. Min. (minimum). Minim. Mist. (mistura). Mixture. Ol. (oleum). Oil. Ov. (ovum). An egg. Ox. Oxymel. Oz. (uncia). An ounce. P. (pondere). By weight. (Pars). A part. Ph. D. Pharmacopoeia of Dublin. Pil. (pilula or pilula). A pill or pills. Pill. (pilula). Pills. P. R. N. (pro re nata). As occasion may require. Pulv. (pulvis). Powder. Q. S. (quantum sufficit). As much as is sufficient. R. Réaumur (thermometric scale). Rad. (radix). Root. Ras. (rasura). Shavings. Rect. (rectificatus). Rectified. Repet. (repetatur). Let it be repeated. S. (signa). Write or direct. S. A. (secundum artem). According to art. Semidr. (semidrachma). Half a drachm. S. G. Specific gravity. Signa. Write or direct. Sing. (singulorum). Of each. Solv. (solve). Dissolve. Sp. and Spir. (spiritus). Spirits. Sp. gr. Specific gravity. Ss. (semi). A half. St. (stet). Let it stand. Syr. (syrupus). Syrup. Tinct. (tinctura). Tincture. Tr. or tra. (tinctura). Tincture. Trit. (tritura). Triturate. Troch. (trochiscus). A lozenge. Usq. ad deliq. (usque ad deliquium). To fainting. COMPARISON OF THERMOMETRIC SCALES. THE practitioner frequently meets with quotations from each of these scales in the course of his readings. It will therefore become necessary for him to convert the degrees of any one of them, as the centigrade, into one of the others, as the familiar scale of this country, that of Fahrenheit. He must bear in mind that the zero of the. two scales-Centigrade and Réaumur-corresponds with the freezing point of water, or 32° on the Fahrenheit scale. The boiling point of water being respectively 100° on the Centigrade scale, 80° on that of Réaumur, and 212° on that of Fahrenheit, it will be seen that the degrees. intervening between the two standard points of the scale amount to 100 on the Centigrade scale, 80 on that of Réaumur, and 180 on that of Fahrenheit. This establishes the following ratio of comparison of the three thermometers: 180: 100: 80 :: 9:5: 4. When the Fahrenheit scale is in question, 32° must be added or subtracted, as is clearly shown in the accompanying table. |