W.B. Water Board; Way-bill.
W.C. Water-closet; Western Central; Wesleyan Chapel.
W.C.T.U. Women's Christian Temperance Union.
WE., WED. Wednesday.
W.F. Wrong font.
W.I. West Indies.
WINTON., _Wintoniensis_=Of Winchester.
WIS. Wisconsin.
WK. Week.
WM. William.
W.M.S. Wesleyan Missionary Society.
W.N.W. West-north-west.
WP., WPFL. Worshipful.
W.R. West Riding.
WR., WLR. Walter.
W.S. Writer to the Signet.
W.S.W. West-south-west.
WT. Weight.
X. or XT. Christ. (_X._=Gr. _Ch._)
XM., XMAS. Christmas.
XN., XTIAN. Christian.
Y., YR. Year.
Y., YD. Yard.
Y^E. The (the _Y_ not being a _Y_, but as representing the Anglo-Saxon ).
Y.M.C.A. Young Men's Christian Association.
YR. Your; Younger.
Y^T. That (_Y_ as in Y^e).
Y.W.C.A. Young Women's Christian Association.
ZN. Zinc.
ZECH. Zechariah.
ZEPH. Zephaniah.
ZR. Zirconium.
&, _et_=And.
&C., _et cetera_=And so forth.
SYMBOLS USED IN MEDICINE AND PHARMACY.
[scruple] Scruple; [scruple]i, one scruple; [scruple]ij, two scruples; [scruple]ss, half a scruple; [scruple]iss, a scruple and a half.
[drachm] Dram or drachm; [drachm]i, one dram; [drachm]ij, two drams; [drachm]ss, half a dram; [drachm]iss, a dram and a half.
[ounce] Ounce; [ounce]i, one ounce; [ounce]ij, two ounces; [ounce]ss, half an ounce; [ounce]iss, an ounce and a half.
[minim] A minim; a drop.
[ana] (Gr. _ana_), of each a like quantity.
[recipe] (L. _recipe_), take.
The above symbols are employed almost always in medical prescriptions. A prescription consists of the following parts: (1) The _Superscription_; (2) The _Inscription_; (3) The _Subscription_; (4) The _Signature_. The _Superscription_, which consists of the letter [recipe], is a relic of the days of astrology. It originally was used to represent the symbol of the planet Jupiter. By common consent it is now regarded as representing the imperative mood of the Latin verb _recipere_, to take. The _Inscription_ is a statement of the names of the substances to be used, with their quantities. The _Subscription_ is made up of the directions for the guidance of the dispenser. The _Signature_ includes the directions to the patient. This part of the prescription should be written in English; the other parts are in Latin. Sometimes the signature also is in Latin.
The body or prescription contains the following: the _Basis_, or principal active ingredient; the _Adjuvant_, or _Auxiliary_, to assist its action; the _Corrective_, to correct or diminish some undesirable quality; the _Vehicle_, or _Excipient_, to give a suitable form for administration.
PRESCRIPTION.
[Recipe] Superscription.