Administration of Medicines whose strengths were unknown; and this has greatly diminished the Business of the Apothecaries: but who can blame them for compounding their Medicine so very different, when they have no Established Rule for a Guide; and there are such a variety of methods prescribed in the Different Dispensatories now in use.
A great variety of medicines are differently compounded; but as a Proof of my Assertions at this time, I shall only exhibit the different prescriptions for compounding but one medicine, viz. the Liquid Laudanum, which may be seen in the following Dispensatories, as,
1. The London Dispensatory.
- ℞ Gum Opii purify pun - ʒx
- Spirit vin tenu - ?
- Digere per Dies Deum, et cola.
2. The Edenburgh Dispensatory
- ℞ Opium, - ℥ij
- Aq. Cin. Spt. - ?
- Digere per Dies Quatuor, et cola.
3. Quinsey's Dispensatory
- ℞ Gum Opii crud. - ℥ij
- Croc. Anglican. - ℥j
- Aq. Aromat. vel cin. - ℥?
- Spt. Vin gallic. - ℥x
- Digere leni calore, et cola.
4. James's Dispensatory
- ℞ Gum Opii crud. - ℥ij
- Croc Anglican. - ℥j
- Aq. Aromat. vel cin. - ℥xx
- Digere leni calore, et cola.
5. Brookes's Dispensatory
- ℞ Gum Opii, - ℥ij
- Aq. Aromat. - ℥xx
- Digere leni calore, etc.
Thus we may see by preceeding
