GLOSSARY OF MATERIA MEDICA.
In the following Glossary will be found short definitions of many of the terms employed in the Dispensatory to designate the medical properties of the remedies; most of the words are commonly employed as nouns, and sometimes as adjectives.
- Absorbents.—Drugs used to produce absorption of exudates or diseased tissues.
- Abstergents.—Detergents (cleansing agents).
- Alteratives.—Medicines used to so modify nutrition as to overcome morbid processes.
- Analeptics.—Restorative medicines or food.
- Analgesics.—Medicines used to allay pain.
- Anaphrodisiacs.—Medicines used to allay sexual feeling.
- Anesthetics.—Medicines used to produce anesthesia or unconsciousness.
- Anodynes.—Medicines used to allay pain.
- Antacids.—Medicines used to neutralize acid in the stomach and intestines.
- Anthelmintics.—Medicines used to destroy intestinal worms.
- Antiarthritics.—Medicines used for the relief of gout.
- Antihydropics.—Medicines used for the relief of dropsy.
- Antilithics.—Medicines used for the relief of calculous affections.
- Antiperiodics.—Medicines used for the relief of malarial fevers.
- Antipyretics.—Medicines used for the reduction of bodily temperature in fevers.
- Antiseptics.—Substances which have the power of preventing putrefaction.
- Antispasmodics.—Medicines used for the relief of nervous
- irritability and minor spasms.
- Antisyphilitics.—Medicines used for the relief of syphilis.
- Antizymotics.—Substances which have the power of killing disease germs.
- Aperients.—Mild purgatives.
- Aphrodisiacs.—Substances used to increase sexual power or excitement.
- Aromatic Bitters.—Medicines which unite the properties of
- the aromatic and simple bitters.
- Aromatics.—Medicines characterized by a fragrant or spicy taste and odor,
- and stimulant to the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane.
- Astringents.—Medicines having the power of influencing vital
- contractility, thereby condensing tissues.
- Bitters, Simple.—Medicines which have a bitter taste andhave the power
- of stimulating the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane,
- without affecting the general system.
- Blisters.—Medicines which when locally applied cause inflammatory exudation
- of serum from the skin, and are used as revulsants.
- Calefacients.—Medicines used externally to cause a sense of warmth.
- Cardiac Depressants.—Medicines used to lower the heart’s action.
- Cardiac Stimulants.—Medicines used to increase the heart’s action.
- Carminatives.—Medicines containing a volatile oil used to excite intestinal
- peristalsis and provoke an expulsion of flatus.
- Cathartics.—Purgatives.
- Caustics.—Medicines used to destroy living tissues.
- Cholagogues.—Medicines which provoke a flow of bile.
- Constringents.—Astringents.
- Convulsants.—Medicines which cause convulsions.
- Correctives.—Medicines used to correct or render more pleasant
- the action of other remedies, especially purgatives.
- Corrigents.—Correctives.
- Demulcents.—Mucilaginous principles which are used in solution to
- soothe and protect irritated mucous membranes and other tissues.
- Deobstruents (obsolete and not very definite).—Medicines
- which overcome obstruction; aperients.
- Deodorants.—Substances which destroy or hide foul air.
- Depilatories.—Substances used to remove hair.
- Depressants.—Sedatives.
- Depressomotors.—Medicines which lessen motor activity.
- Depurants.—Medicines which act upon the emunctories so as
- to cause excretion and thereby purify the system.
- Detergents.—Medicines which cleanse wounds, ulcers, etc.
- Diaphoretics.—Medicines which produce sweating.
- Digestants.—Ferments and acids which have the power of
- aiding in the solution of food.
- Diluents.—Medicines which dilute secretions and excretions.
- Disinfectants.—Substances which have the power of destroying disease germs
- or the noxious properties of decaying organic matter.
- Diuretics.—Medicines which increase the secretion of urine.
- Drastics.—Purgatives which cause much irritation.
- Ecbolics.—Medicines which produce abortion.
- Eccoprotics or Ectoprotics.—Laxatives.
- Emetics.—Medicines which cause vomiting.
- Emmenagogues.—Medicines which stimulate menstruation.
- Emollients.—Substances used to mechanically soften and protect tissues.
- Epispatics.—Blisters.
- Errhines.—Medicines which increase the nasal secretions.
- Escharotics.—Caustics.
- Evacuants.—Medicines which evacuate; chiefly applied to purgatives.
- Excitants.—Stimulants.
- Excitomotors.—Medicines which increase motor activity.
- Expectorants.—Medicines which act upon the pulmonic mucous
- membrane and increase or alter its secretions.
- Febrifuges.—Medicines which dissipate fever.
- Galactagogues.—Medicines which increase the secretion of milk.
- Germicides.—Agents that destroy germs.
- Hemostatics.—Medicines which arrest hemorrhages.
- Hydragogues.—Purgatives which cause large watery discharges.
- Hypnotics.—Medicines which cause sleep.
- Laxatives.—Mild purgatives.
- Local Anesthetics.—Medicines which when applied locally destroy sensation.
- Mydriatics.—Medicines which cause mydriasis, or dilation of the pupil.
- Myotics.—Medicines which cause myosis, or contraction of the pupil.
- Narcotics.—Powerful anodyne hypnotics.
- Neurotics.—Medicines which act upon the nervous system.
- Nutriants.—Medicines which modify the nutritive processes.
- Nutrients.—Substances which nourish.
- Oxytocics.—Medicines which stimulate uterine contractions.
- Peristaltics.—Medicines which increase peristalsis.
- Prophylactics.—Medicines which prevent the taking or development of disease.
- Protectives.—Medicines which protect a part when applied to it.
- Ptyalagogues.—Sialagogues.
- Purgatives.—Medicines which produce copious discharges from the bowels.
- Refrigerants.—Medicines which lessen bodily temperature.
- Revulsants.—Medicines which by causing irritation draw nervous
- force and blood from a distant diseased part.
- Rubefacients.—Medicines which cause irritation and redness,
- and are used as revulsants.
- Sedatives.—Medicines which lower functional activity.
- Sialagogues.—Medicines which excite salivary glands to secretion.
- Somnifacients.—Soporifics.
- Soporifics.—Medicines which cause sleep.
- Sorbefacients.—Medicines which cause absorption.
- Specifics.—Medicines which have a direct curative influence
- on certain individual diseases.
- Stimulants.—Medicines which increase functional activity.
- Stomachics.—Stimulants to the stomach.
- Styptics.—Hemostatics.
- Sudorifics.—Medicines which produce sweating.
- Tenicides.—Medicines which kill the tapeworm.
- Tonics.—Medicines which permanently increase the systemic
- tone by stimulating nutrition.
- Vermicides.—Medicines which kill intestinal worms.
- Vermifuges.—Medicines which cause the expulsion of intestinal worms.
- Vesicatories.—Blisters.
ROMAN NUMERALS.
| I— | 1 | XI— | 11 | XXX— | 30 |
| II— | 2 | XII— | 12 | XL— | 40 |
| III— | 3 | XIII— | 13 | L— | 50 |
| IV— | 4 | XIV— | 14 | LX— | 60 |
| V— | 5 | XV— | 15 | LXX— | 70 |
| VI— | 6 | XVI— | 16 | LXXX— | 80 |
| VII— | 7 | XVII— | 17 | XC— | 90 |
| VIII— | 8 | XVIII— | 18 | C— | 100 |
| IX— | 9 | XIX— | 19 | D— | 500 |
| X— | 10 | XX— | 20 | M— | 1000 |
POPULAR AND OFFICIAL NAMES
OF MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS.
| Baking soda | Sodium bicarbonate. | Sodii bicarbonas. |
| Basham’s mixture | Solution of iron and | Liquor ferri etmmonii acetatis. |
| ammonium acetate. | ||
| Blaud’s pills | Pills of iron carbonate. | Pilulæ ferri carbonatis. |
| Blue mass or blue pill. | Mass of mercury. | Massa hydrargyri. |
| Blue ointment | Ointment of mercury. | Unguentum hydrargyri. |
| Borax | Sodium borate. | Sodii boras. |
| Brown mixture | Compound licorice mixture. | Mistura glycyrrhizæ compositæ. |
| Calomel | Mild chlorid of mercury. | Hydrargyri chloridum mite. |
| Castor oil | Oleum ricini. | |
| Cod-liver oil | Oleum morrhuæ. | |
| Corrosive sublimate. | Corrosive chlorid of mercury. | Hydrargyri chloridum corrosivum. |
| Cream-of-tartar | Potassium bitartrate. | Potassii bitartras. |
| Croton oil | Oleum tiglii. | |
| Dover’s powder | Powder of ipecac and opium. | Pulvis ipecacuanhæ et opii. |
| Epsom salt | Magnesium sulphate. | Magnesii sulphas. |
| Fowler’s solution | Solution of potassium arsenite. | Liquor potassii arsenitis. |
| Glauber’s salt | Sodium sulphate. | Sodii sulphas. |
| Gum Arabic | Acacia. | |
| Heroin | Diethylmorphin hydrochlorid. | |
| Hive syrup | Compound syrup of squills. | Syrupus scillæ compositus. |
| Hoffmann’s anodyne. | Compound spirit of ether. | Spiritus ætheris compositus. |
| Huxham’s tincture. | Compound tincture of cinchona. | Tinctura cinchonæ compositæ. |
| Jaborandi | Pilocarpus. | |
| Lady Webster’s pill. | Pill of aloes and mastic. | Pilula aloes et mastiches. |
| Laudanum | Tincture of opium. | Tinctura opii. |
| Licorice powder | Compound licorice powder. | Pulvis glycyrrhizæ compositus. |
| Lugol’s solution | Compound solution of iodin. | Liquor iodi compositus. |
| Magendie’s solution. | Solution of morphin sulphate. | Liquor morphinæ sulphatis. |
| Male fern | Filix mas. | Aspidium. |
| Muriatic acid | Hydrochloric acid. | Acidum hydrochloricum. |
| Mustard | Sinapis. | |
| Nitroglycerin | Glonoin. | |
| Oil of wintergreen | Oil of gaultheriæ. | Oleum gaultheriæ. |
| Paregoric | Camphorated tincture of opium. | Tinctura opii camphorata. |
| Phenol | Carbolic acid. | Acidum carbolicum. |
| Prussic acid | Hydrocyanic acid. | Acidum hydrocyanicum. |
| Rochelle salt | Sodium and potassium tartrate. | Sodii et potassii tartras. |
| Salt | Common salt, sodium chlorid. | Sodii chloridum. |
| Seidlitz powder | Compound effervescing powder. | Pulvis effervescens compositus. |
| Sweet spirit of niter. | Spirit of nitrous ether. | Spiritus ætheris nitrosi. |
| Tartar emetic | Antimony and potassium tartrate. | Antimonii et potassii tartras. |
| Washing soda | Sodium carbonate. | Sodii carbonas. |
| Witch-hazel | Hamamelis. |
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
TROY WEIGHT.
| 24 grains | = | 1 dwt. |
| 20 dwts. | = | 1 ounce. |
| 12 ounces | = | 1 pound. |