PAGES ORDER 4.--Escharotics-(Caustic potash, Caustic soda, Arsenious acid, Bromine, Zinc chloride, Acid nitrate of mercury, Corrosive sublimate, Potassium bichromate, the Mineral acids, Silver nitrates, Copper sulphate, Alum), . . 260-262 CLASS III. DEMULCENTS-(Water, Acacia, Tragacanth, Slippery elm-bark, Marshmallow, Flax-seed, Sassafras CLASS IV.-EMOLLIENTS (Lard, Lanolin, Suet, Spermaceti, Wax, Oleic acid, Glycerine, Cacao-butter, Cotton-seed oil, Oil of benne, Petrolatum, the Demulcents), . . . 266-267 CLASS V.-PROTECTIVES (Plasters, Ointments, Plaster of QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE ESSENTIALS OF MATERIA MEDICA AND THERAPEUTICS. What is meant by the term "materia medica"? Materia medica is that division of medical science which treats of all that relates to the medicines employed in the treatment of disease. It embraces the study of the source of remedies, their physical and chemical properties, their action in medicinal doses on the human body both in health and disease, their poisonous effects and the means by which they may be antagonized, and the methods of preparing and administering them; and is closely allied to botany, mineralogy, zoology, chemistry, physiology and pathology. How may this knowledge be subdivided? Into Materia Medica Proper, Pharmacy, Pharmacology including Toxicology, and Therapeutics. What is materia medica proper? By materia medica proper is understood a description of the source, and the physical and chemical characteristics of remedies. What is pharmacy? Pharmacy (pápμakov, a medicine) relates to the preparation and combination of remedies. What is pharmacology? Pharmacology (pápμakov, a medicine, and 26yos, a discourse), though originally meaning a "treatise on drugs" or "on pharmacy," is now usually applied only to the study of the action of arugs on the body, and embraces toxicology (TOğikóv, poison with which arrows are smeared, and 2óyos, a discourse), which deals with poisons and their antidotes. What are therapeutics? Therapeutics (Oeрāжεvw, I take care of, or, cure) deals with the application of remedies to disease, and may be either empirical or rational. How does empirical differ from rational therapeutics? When a remedy is given in any disease because it has succeeded in similar cases before, although the manner in which it acts is often not understood, it is given empirically. When a remedy is prescribed because, from a knowledge of its action on the body, it is likely that it will antagonize or overcome a particular pathological condition, it is administered on the rational plan. Rational therapeutics is the more scientific, and is the outgrowth of pharmacology. What are remedies? Remedies are the agents employed in the treatment of disease. How may remedies be classified? Remedies are subdivided into mechanical, physical, dietetic, hygienic and pharmaceutical agents. The first four classes are usually treated of in works especially devoted to such subjects. What are mechanical remedies? Venesection; local bloodletting by means of leeches, cups, scarifications, incisions or punctures; bandages; splints; sutures; ligatures; acupressure needle and forceps; acupuncture; aspiration; frictions; massage, etc., are mechanical remedies and are described in works on surgery. What are physical remedies? When light, heat or cold, electricity, galvanism or other of the physical forces are used in the treatment of disease, they are spoken of as physical remedies. They are treated of at length in works on physics and in books devoted to them exclusively. What is meant by dietetic remedies? All relating to the food of the sick* or to special plans of diet, are included under this head. * In many diseases the diet is of equal or of more importance than medication, e. g., in diabetes mellitus, and in various forms of dyspepsia. What are hygienic remedies? The clothing, bathing and cleanliness of the sick, the ventilation of the sick room, etc., belong to this subdivision, and will be found in works on practice of medicine, but more particularly in those relating to hygiene. What are pharmaceutical remedies? Pharmaceutical remedies or "medicines, are substances not essentially alimentary, which, when applied to the body, so alter or modify its vital functions as to be rendered applicable to the treatment of diseases." It is preeminently with this subdivision that materia medica deals. What is meant by "official" preparations? This term is applied to such remedies as are authorized (officialis) by the Pharmacopoeia. How does a pharmacopoeia differ from a dispensatory? A pharmacopoeia (pápμakov, a medicine, and moíew, to make) is a book containing directions for the preparation of medicines with the object of uniformity of nomenclature, preparation and strength. The U. S. Pharmacopoeia has been decennially revised since 1820, when it was first authorized by a representative convention of druggists and physicians, held at Washington. It is an authoritative list of remedies, with formulæ for such preparations as may be in general use. "A dispensatory differs from a pharmacopoeia in containing the physical and medical history of the various substances." It contains the whole of the pharmacopoeia" "with additions by the author, under whose authority alone it usually appears" (Dunglison). It treats, also, of the therapeutics, modes of administration and doses of the various drugs, "while the pharmacopoeia is restricted to the mode of preparing them." How may the official preparations be classified? They may be classified, according to their physical state, into solids, semi-solids, and liquids. Name the official solid preparations. Lozenges, papers, pills, powders, and triturations. *Biddle's Materia Medica, 11th Ed., 1889, p. 46. What are the official semi-solid preparations? Confections, extracts, cerates, liniments, oleates, ointments, plasters, and suppositories. Mention the official liquid preparations. Solutions, mixtures, waters, infusions, decoctions, tinctures, spirits, wines, glycerites, fluid extracts, honeys, syrups, vinegars, and oleoresins. What are lozenges? Lozenges or troches (trochisci) are dry, solid medicines made of powders incorporated usually by means of mucilage and sugar, intended to be slowly dissolved in the mouth. What are papers? Papers (chartae) are made by soaking bibulous paper in medicinal solutions (e.g., charta potassii nitratis), or by spreading medicinal mixtures on paper (e.g., charta sinapis). What are pills? Pills (pilula) are preparations of such size that they can be conveniently swallowed whole. They usually contain some excipient to give the proper degree of tenacity to their particles, and are rolled into a spherical form. What are powders? Powders (pulveres) are dry solid medicines in a minute state of subdivision. What are triturations? Triturations (triturationes) consist of 1 part of a medicinal substance and 9 parts of sugar of milk thoroughly mingled and reduced to a fine powder in a mortar. What is a confection? Confections or conserves (confectiones) are remedies made into a soft mass with sugar, honey, etc., which render them more pleasant to the taste What are extracts? Extracts (extracta) are made by evaporating solutions of vegetable substances (or in some cases the juices expressed from plants) |