LESSONS ON PRESCRIPTIONS AND THE

ART OF PRESCRIBING.

LESSON I.

INTRODUCTION.

IN commencing this brief series of "Lessons on the Art of Prescription" I will ask you to bear in mind that I shall be actuated by a desire, not only to enable you to pass your examinations creditably, but also to impart such a knowledge of the subject as will enable you to acquit yourselves creditably in whatever grade of professional life it may be your lot to fill. You must understand, however, at the outset, that although prescriptions are almost universally written in the Latin. tongue, it will form no part of my plan to inculcate the elements of the grammar of that language. I must suppose that the schoolmaster has not been abroad, and that the examination in general education which you have all undergone has been sufficiently searching to relieve me from responsibility in this At the same time, I shall not fail to ask your careful attention to those prominent rules of syntax which more immediately bear upon prescription-writing, and to indicate the more frequent idiomatic phrases of "Medical Latin."

matter.

B

I speak of phraseology, for you must understand that a knowledge of classical Latin will not enable you either to write or to translate an orthodox prescrip tion. Literal translation of many phrases in common use may lead you into very serious error, in illustration of which I may remind you of the story which is told of the raw apprentice who translated the words, "pro re nata," as, "for the thing that is born," with results which may be better imagined than described. And now, gentlemen, let me ask you to set its true value on a knowledge of the art of prescription-writing. Remember that the diction of a typical prescription is one of the most crucial tests of an accomplished physician, implying as it does the most extensive and varied professional attainments. Although the colleges and examining boards do not lay sufficient stress on the importance of prescription-writing, let not this fact deter you from an earnest study of the art. If no higher motive should actuate you, reflect that an erroneous prescription bearing your signature may place you at the mercy of the unfriendly criticism of an apothecary's apprentice.

You may ask what, after all, is the necessity for inditing prescriptions in the Latin tongue? There are at least two cogent reasons: first, a prescription in Latin can be deciphered in almost every quarter of the globe; and, secondly, it is often necessary to conceal from our patient that he is taking a certain drug.

After these prefatory remarks, which I trust will not be unprofitable, we will now commence our studies with a consideration of

2

THE GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION OF A PRE

SCRIPTION.

In introducing you to this part of the subject I will follow the example of Pereira (a) by giving you a grammatical analysis of an ordinary prescription. A careful study of this will enable you to understand the rationale of the construction of most prescriptions. In the form of a diagram I will take each word as it occurs, parse it, and indicate the rule of syntax which it exemplifies. (See next page.)

The foregoing prescription, which I have modified. from one in Pereira's 'Selections,' illustrates two most important rules, to which I ask your special attention : it shows that

Ist. The name of the medicine is put in the genitive when the quantity of it to be used is expressed.

2nd. The quantity is put in the accusative, being governed by the verb Recipe.

There yet remain for consideration some other important rules, which a few phrases of frequent occurrence will serve to illustrate :

"Divide in pilulas tres, quarum sumat unam omni nocte." This little sentence is demonstrative of the rule that the relative pronoun (quarum) agrees with its antecedent (pilulas) in gender, number, and person. It moreover shows that nouns signifying the time when are put in the ablative, but you must bear in mind that nouns signifying how long, as "per horam," are generally put in the accusative, the prepositions per,

(a) 'Selecta è Præscriptis.' The author owes to this little work most of the composition of this Lesson.

"

(a) One substantive agrees with another which signifies the same thing in case-as, Potassæ Acetatis unciam.

ad, in, intra, and inter, being often expressed. While speaking of prepositions I may mention that the following govern the accusative: ad, apud, ante, inter, per, &c., as "ad uncias decem;" whereas the following govern the ablative: a, ab, cum, de, e or ex, pro, in, &c., as "in pulvere." The sentence "Haustus et pilula sumantur" will serve to illustrate the rule that when several substantives singular are coupled by a conjunction they generally take a verb, adjective, or relative pronoun plural. I may here remind you that the conjunctions, et, ac, atque, aut, vel, &c., couple like cases of nouns and moods of verbs, as Duabus vel tribus horis." The following conjunctions generally govern the subjunctive mood: ut, si, ne, donec, &c., as "Ut fiat haustus." Adjectives signifying quantity are followed by a genitive, as "Plus calcis."

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In the sentence "Si ægro balneo calido opus sit" we have an exemplification of the rule that opus, usus, and nouns denoting necessity govern the ablative of the thing wanted (balneo), and the dative of that for which it is wanted (agro). The sentence "Utatur balneo frigido" is also an exemplification of the rule that utor and some other words (participles, natus, editus, creatus, &c.) govern the ablative.

The sentence "Mistura dimidium" demonstrates the fact that words denoting a part govern the genitive; remember also that adjectives of desire, fear, memory, or knowledge, &c., or the contraries of these, govern the genitive, as "Timidus febris." One verb governs another in the infinitive, thus, “ Mistura quam debet capere ager."

The words "More solito," which are so frequently