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.
An agent that will reduce febrile temperatures. Examples: Quinine, antipyrine, acetylsalicylic acid.
An agent that will prevent or relieve rheumatism. Examples: Sodium salicylate, acetylsalicylic acid, colchicum.
An agent that will prevent or relieve scurvy. Examples: Citric acid, orange-juice.
An agent that will prevent the growth or arrest the development of micro-organisms. Examples: Sodium benzoate, boric acid, or almost any germicide in diluted form.
An agent that lessens the flow of saliva. Examples: Belladonna, sodium bicarbonate.
An agent that will relieve muscular spasm. Examples: Morphine, atropine, asafetida, bromides.
An agent that will prevent or relieve syphilis. Examples: Mercury, arsenic, iodides.
An agent that will prevent or arrest fermentation. Examples: Salicylic acid, alcohol.
A very mild purgative. Examples: Honey, potassium bitartrate, magnesium oxide. The term seems to be particularly applied to mild purgative waters.
An agent that will increase sexual desire or power. Examples: Nux vomica, phosphorus, alcohol, and cantharides are usually placed in this class.
Used in this sense a water is an aqueous solution of a volatile substance. They usually contain only a comparatively small percentage of the active drug. Many of them are merely water saturated with a volatile oil. They are used more as vehicles and to give odor and taste to solutions. There are nineteen official waters.
An agent that will produce contraction or condensation of tissue: Examples: Alum, tannic acid, ferrous sulphate.
Natural resinous substances derived from plants, and containing benzoic, cinnamic or analogous acids. Examples: Balsam of Peru, Balsam of Tolu.
The outer cover of the woody parts of a plant. Examples: Cinchona, wild cherry, cascara sagrada.
A compound usually composed of a metal with oxygen, or oxygen and hydrogen, and possessing the following properties: With an acid it forms a salt; it has (when soluble in water) an alkaline taste and reaction.
A short, thick, underground stem, composed of layers. Example: Squill.
An agent that will remove gases from the gastrointestinal tract. Examples : Asafetida, peppermint, cardamom.
An active purgative, usually producing several evacuations, and may or may not be accompanied by pain or tenesmus. Examples: Castor oil, calomel, cascara sagrada.
An agent that will destroy living tissue. Examples: Silver nitrate, potassium hydroxide, nitric acid.
 
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