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.
Tablets are small, disk-like masses of medicinal powders.
Tablet Triturates (T. T.) are made by moistening the powder with a volatile liquid, as alcohol, and then molding into shape and allowing the liquid to evaporate. They are seldom made to contain more than 1 grain of the active agent. They will usually disintegrate readily and are a very desirable form for administering certain drugs.
Coated Tablets are usually made by coating compressed tablets with sugar, chocolate, etc. (S. C. T.; C. C. T.; G. C. T.).
Compressed Tablets (C. T.) are made by forcibly compressing the powdered substances into the desired shape. They are usually made to contain from 1 to 10 grains of the active drug. They are frequently very hard and sometimes not readily soluble.
Dispensing Tablets (D. T.) are those that contain a comparatively large amount of the active drug, as 1 grain of strychnine sulphate. They are used by pharmacists and dispensing physicians to avoid the necessity of weighing small amounts of a potent drug in filling prescriptions. There is one official tablet.
Hypodermic Tablets (H. T.) are usually rnade as are tablet triturates. They frequently contain, in addition, some agents that produce chemical action when water is added and cause a rapid disintegration of the mass.
An agent that will effect the removal of tape-worms. Examples: Pelletierine tannate, oleoresin of male fern.
Tinctures are alcoholic solutions of nonvolatile substances (tincture of iodine is an exception). They are the most commonly used class of preparations. They usually contain tannic acid; so, in most instances, cannot be employed with agents that are incompatible with that drug. Those tinctures that contain much resinous matter or oils will precipitate with water. Some examples are tinctures of ginger, benzoin, guaiac, etc. Tinctures of the most potent drugs usually represent 10 per cent. of the crude drug, as tinctures of opium, digitalis, aconite, etc. Where more than a fluidrachm of a 10 per-cent. tincture would have to be taken to get a dose of the drug, the tincture is usually made to represent 20 per cent., or more, of the agent.
As to the dosage, the majority of tinctures can be roughly put into two groups: those the dose of which is about 10 minims and those of fluidrachm doses. Fifty-four tinctures are official.
An agent that improves or strengthens one or more parts or functions of the body. According to action these are subdivided as general, cardiac, etc. Examples: Preparations of iron, arsenic, digitalis.
Triturations are powdered preparations containing 10 per cent. of the active drug and 90 per cent. of sugar of milk. One is official.
Troches, or lozenges, are solid, discoid, or cylindrical masses consisting chiefly of medicinal powders, sugars, and mucilage. They are intended to be used by placing them in the mouth and allowing them to remain until, through slow solution or disintegration, their purpose of mild medication is effected. They are not often prescribed. Five troches are official.
A thickened primary root. Examples: Aconite, jalap.
Ointments are fatty, soft-solid preparations intended to be applied to the skin by inunction. Twenty ointments are official.
An agent that will kill intestinal worms. Examples: Santonin, thymol.
There can be no sharp distinction between the last two terms, and they are used as practically synonymous.
An agent that will effect the removal of intestinal worms. Examples: Castor oil, calomel, jalap.
An agent that will produce blisters. Examples: Mustard, cantharides.
The medicated wines are solutions of medicinal sub-stances in wine. They are not often prescribed. None are official.
 
Continue to: