PRESCRIPTION (Lat. prwscriptio, from pra•scribcre, to prescribe, from prw, before + scriberc, to write). A formula by which the plOysician directs the coin p011ading and dispens ing of medicines. Prescriptions were formerly written entirely in Latin. the common scientific language; but at the present time and in this country the tendency is to restrict the employ ment of Latin to the names of the ingredients of the formula, English, being used for the direc tions. Since the botanical or chemical names arc the only ones by which vegetable or mineral drugs can be definitely known, Latin is retained for this part of the medical formula. The for mal prescription consists of four parts: (1) The superscription comprises the name of the patient, date, and the sign l4, The latter is an abbrevia tion of the Latin word recipe (take). (2) The inscription or body of the formula consists of the names and quantities of the drugs to be com pounded. The names of the ingredients, as be fore stated. are written in abbreviated Latin, and the quantities set down in apothecaries' measure or according to the metric system. (3) The
subscription is made up of directions to the apothecary. (4) The signature (Lat. signrtur, la it be labeled) consists of directions to the pa tient: dose, time, and method of taking. This is followed by the physician's signature or initials. The body of a prescription may be composed of one or many ingredients, arranged in a specific manner, and each having a definite purpose to fulfill. The most important of these is the base or substance from which the chief therapeutic action is expected. This may be assisted in its operation by another ingredient, the ad Persia, and corrected or modified by a third called the corrigent. Lastly, for the sake of convenience of administration, to secure a definite quantity or consistency, to increase solubility and obtain uni form subdivisions into proper doses, certain sub stances having little therapeutic virtue in them selves, and variously known as the rchicle, diluent, excipient, o• rnncn.struu,a, are added. See Bartholow, Medics and Therapeutics (New York, 1903).