Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 2 (of 2)Wootton, A. C.
History
Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Wootton, A. C.
Pharmacy -- History
Gutteta. A term for epilepsy. Pulvis de Gutteta was a remedy against
epilepsy.
Hepars were chemicals of a liver colour, as hepar antimonii, hepar
sulphuris.
Infusions first appeared in the London Pharmacopœia of 1720. In the
revised edition of that issue (1724), however, the three infusions of
1720 appear as Decocti, the title of Infusum being abandoned, but the
directions for the three preparations referred to still give “infunde”
and not “coque.” In the edition of 1746 Infusa re-appear as such,
and “Macera” appears in the directions for the first time. In the
1788 edition Inf. Amarum Simplex becomes Infusum Gentianæ Compositum,
and aqua bulliens gives place to aqua fervens. In 1809 the number of
Infusions is raised from four to eighteen.
Julep, a term made popular in medicine by the Arabs. It was used by
them exclusively for clear, sweet, liquids. Nothing oily or with a
sediment could be a julep. The name is said to be a Persian compound
from gul, rose, and ap, water; applied to rose tinted waters. It has
lingered in modern pharmacy as camphor or mint julep, but in neither of
these cases is it correctly applied, as they are not sweetened. The old
way of making camphor julep was to hold a piece of camphor by pincers,
inflame it, and plunge it in water, repeating this operation frequently
until the water acquired a strong flavour of camphor.
Katapotia. The most usual form of medicine among the Greek pharmacists
was the confection or electuary, a composition of drugs made to a
proper consistence generally with honey. Frequently these electuaries
were called “antidotes,” things given against this or that disease.
There were antidotes against gout, against stone, against colics,
against phthisis, etc. The taste of these antidotes was always
unpleasant, so it became the custom to order them to be made up into
little balls of such or such size. The Greeks called these little balls
“katapotia,” that is, things to be swallowed. “Take a katapotium the
size of a bean” would be an ordinary Greek direction. Galen describes a
composition of 1 part of colocynth, 2 parts of aloes, 2 of scammony,
1 of absinth juice, and a little mastic and bdellium, which was to
be formed into katapotia, each of the size of a dried pea. Trallien
refers to this same pill, but names the size as that of a kokkion, a
seed. This was the origin of our pil. cochiæ or cocciæ as they came to
be known. By this time the names globulus, glomeramus, and pilula had
taken the place in Latin of katapotium. Actuarius says expressly that
what the Greeks called katapotia the Romans knew as pilulæ. Trochisci
were katapotia made very hard.
Lac Virginale. The name was applied to a dilute solution of acetate of
lead (Goulard’s water) and also to water made milky by the addition of
a little tincture of benzoin. Both were used by young girls for their
complexions.
Lapis Infernalis. Nitrate of silver.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account