The physician should always write his prescription with neatness, order and precision, but it will be found an advantage to the nurse to have a ready comprehension of the symbols and abbreviations used in writing prescriptions. Hence I have appended a table designed to explain the signs and abbreviations habitually used. Ordinarily the Roman numerals are employed, and follow always the symbols to which they relate. A glossary which will include some latin terms will hereafter be added. ───────────────────────┬───────────────────────┬─────────────────────── Sign or Abbreviation. │ LATIN WORD. │ ENGLISH WORD. ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼─────────────────────── ℔ │Libra or libræ. │A pound or pounds. ℥ │Uncia or unciæ. │An ounce or ounces. ʒ │Drachma or drachmæ. │A drachm or drachms ℈ │Scrupulus or scrupuli. │A scruple or scruples aa. │Ana. │Of each. Add. │Adda. │Add to it. Ad. saturand │Ad saturandum. │Until saturated. Ad. lib. │Ad libitum. │At pleasure. Alt. hor. │Alternis horis. │Alternate hours. Ante Cib. │Ante cibum. │Before food. Aq. ferv. │Aqua fervens. │Hot water. Aq. pluv. │Aqua pluvialis. │Rain water. Aq. pur. │Aqu pura. │Pure water. Aq. tepida. │Aqua tepida. │Tepid water. Bis die. │Bis die. │Twice a day. Bull. │Bulliat. │Let it boil. Cap. │Copiat. │Let him take. Coch. mag. │Cochlear magraum. │A large spoonful. Coch. parv. │Cochlear parvum. │A tea spoonful. Colent. │Colentur. │Let them be strained Collyr. │Collyrium. │An eye water. Comp. or Co. │Compositus. │Compound. Contus. │Contusus. │Bruised or crushed. Cong. │Congius or Congii. │A gallon or gallons. Decoct. │Decoctum. │A decoction. Det. │Detur. │Let it be given Dil. │Dilutus. │Dilute. Div. in p. æq. │Divitur in partes │Divide in equal parts │ æqualis. │ Duo. │Duo. │Two. Ft. │Fiat. │Let them be made. Garg. │Gargarisma. │A gargle Gr. │Granum or granæ. │A grain or grains. Gtt. or gut. │Gutta or guttæ. │A drop or drops. Haust. │Haustus. │A draught. Ind. │Indico. │Daily. Infus.