Print the symbolic letters I O U, without full points.
The points of the compass, N. E. S. W., when separately used, to have a full point: but print NE., NNW. These letters to be used only in geographical or similar matter: do not, even if N. is in the copy, use the contraction in ordinary composition; print ‘Woodstock is eight miles north of Carfax’.
MS. = manuscript, MSS. = manuscripts, to be spelt out when used in a general sense. But in printing bibliographical details, and in references to particular manuscripts, the contracted forms should be used; e.g. the Worcester MS., the Harleian MSS., Add. MS. 25642.
Print PS. (not P.S.) for postscript or postscriptum; MM. (messieurs), SS. not S.S. (steamship); but H.M.S. (His Majesty’s Ship); H.R.H.; I.W. (Isle of Wight); N.B., Q.E.D., and R.S.V.P., because more than one word is contracted.
Print ME. and OE. in philological works for Middle English and Old English. When an author prefers M.E., O.E., do not put a space between the letters.
Abbreviations of titles, such as M.P., D.D., M.A., or of occupations or parties, such as I.C.S., I.L.P., to have no space between the letters.
When titles of books are represented by initials, put a thin space only between each letter; e.g. J. T. S., S. B. E.
Mr., Mrs., Dr., &c. must be printed with a full point, but not Mme, Mlle.
In printing S. or St. for Saint, the compositor must be guided by the manuscript. Ordinarily St. should be used, but if S. is consistently written this must be assumed as the form in which the author wishes it printed.