This section is from the book "Practical Materia Medica And Prescription Writing", by Oscar W. Bethea. Also available from Amazon: Practical Materia Medica and Prescription Writing.
(Not Official.)
Latin, Bromum
Eng., Bromine. A heavy, dark, brownish-red liquid.
Official Bromides. General Characteristics.
Colorless crystals or white granular or crystalline powders.
Odorless and having a sharp, saline, rather disagreeable taste.
Soluble in less than 2 parts of water and usually deliquescent. Soluble in alcohol.
Acids, acid salts, many metallic salts, alkaloids, chlorine water, salts of mercury, spirit of nitrous ether.
Eng., Ammonium Bromide. Formula, NH4Br.
15 grains (1 Gm.).
Eng., Calcium Bromide. Formula, CaBr2.
15 grains (1 Gm.).
Eng., Lithium Bromide. Formula, LiBr.
15 grains (1 Gm.).
Eng., Potassium Bromide. Formula, KBr.
Eng., Sodium Bromide. Formula, NaBr.
15 grains (1 Gm.).
Eng., Strontium Bromide. Formula, SrBr2.
15 grains (1 Gm.).
Eng., Diluted Hydrobromic Acid. An aqueous solution containing about 10 per cent. of HBr.
15 minims (1 mil).
Sedative, hypnotic, anodyne, antispasmodic.
To relieve pain or produce quiet or sleep in headache, nervousness, hysteria, epilepsy, alcoholism, tetanus, rabies, strychnine poisoning, eclampsia and kindred conditions.
It will be noted that the bromides are all white or nearly white salts freely soluble in water, forming clear, colorless solutions. Most of them will become moist on exposure to air, so should not be dispensed in powder. The taste of the salts is usually sharp, so they should be well diluted. When diluted the taste is not very disagreeable. They are best prescribed in solution in such vehicles as water, peppermint water, aromatic elixir, etc.
Potassium Bromide is the most largely used, but is not necessarily the most desirable.
The bromides may be administered by mouth or rectum.
A bromide may be ordered alone, as:
or | |||
Sodii Bromidi........... | 3ij | 8 | |
Elix. Aromatici............. | q. s. | 30 |
M.
Teaspoonful in water every three hours when .needed.
As a hypnotic, sedative, etc., they are often combined with other agents, as:
or | |||
Chlorali Hydrati ............ | 3j | 4 | |
Sodii Bromidi.............. | 3ij | 8 | |
Tinct. Hyoscyami............... | f3ss | 2 | |
Aquae Menth. Pip................. | q. s. | 30 |
M.
Teaspoonful in water every four hours when necessary.
Or:
or | |||
Codeinae Phos:............ | gr. iv | 26 | |
Chlorali Hydrati.............. | 3j | 4 | 00 |
Potassii Bromidi........... | 3ij | 8 | 00 |
Aquae Chloroformi............. | q. s. | 30 | 00 |
M.
Teaspoonful in water every four hours until relieved.
Bromides are often prescribed as:
or | |||
Ammon. Bromidi............. | gr. xx | 1 | 3 |
Sodii Bromidi............... | gr. xxx | 2 | 0 |
Strontii Bromidi................. | gr. xxx | 2 | 0 |
Potassii Bromidi................ | gr. xl | 2 | 5 |
Syr. Aurantii................ | q. s. | 30 | 0 |
M.
Teaspoonful in water every three hours when necessary.
In the treatment of convulsions:
or | |||
Chlorali Hydrati................ | gr.viij | 5 | |
Sodii Bromidi............... | gr.xvj | 1 | 0 |
Syrupi Aurantii................... | q.s | 60 | 0 |
M.
Teaspoonful. Repeat in one hour if necessary. (For child 2 years old.)
In the treatment of acute laryngitis:
or | |||
Chlorali Hydrati................... | gr. lxxv | 5 | |
Ammonii Bromidi.................. | gr. lxxv | 2 | |
Potassii Bromidi.................. | gr. xlv | 3 | |
Aquae Cinnamomi.................. | q. s. | 60 |
M.
Teaspoonful in water every twenty minutes till improvement takes place.
In the treatment of headache following a debauch:
or | |||
Ammonii Bromidi............... | f3iij | 12 | |
Spir. Ammoniae Arom.................. | f3iv | 15 | |
Elix. Aromatici................ | q. s. | 90 |
M.
Two (2) teaspoonfuls in water every two hours till relieved.
In the treatment of gonorrhea:
or | |||
Acidi Borici, | |||
Sodii Bromidi............ | āā. gr. clx | 10 | |
Tinct. Belladon. Fol.............. | f3j | 4 | |
Liq. Potas. Citratis .................... | q.s. | 240 |
M.
Tablespoonful in water four times daily.
Or:
or | |||
Tinct Veratri......... | viij | 5 | |
Potassii Bromidi, | |||
Sodii Bicarb........... | āā. gr. clx | 10 | 0 |
Liq. Potas. Citratis............. | .q. s. | 240 | 0 |
M.
Tablespoonful in water every two hours.
1 Rubrah: Diseases of Children.
2 Musser and Kelly: Practical Treatment. 3 Ibid.
4 White and Martin: Genito-urinary and Venereal Diseases.
5 lbid.
In the treatment of spasmodic croup:
. | or | ||
Ammonii Bromidi.............. | 3ss | 2 | |
Tinct. Opii Camph............... | f3ss | 2 | |
Tinct. Belladon. Fol................. | xv | 1 | |
Syr. Tolutani.............. | 30 | ||
Aquae.............. | q.s. | 60 |
M.
Teaspoonful every hour till relieved. (For child 2 years old.)
Bromides are frequently used by enema, as in strychnine poisoning, convulsions, etc.:
or | |||
Chlorali Hydrati.......... | 3j | 4 | |
Sodii Bromidi.............. | 3ij | 8 | |
Aquae................. | q.s. | 60 |
M.
Use tablespoonful to cup of warm water as enema.
 
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