DOSES.

In prescribing a medicine, the following circumstances should alwaysbe kept in view:— Age, Sexj Temperament, Habit, Climate, Stateof Stomach, and Idiosynchacy.

^h ;

AGE.

For an adult, suppose the dose to be one or 1 drachm.Under 1 year, will require only . l-12th 5 grains.

2.........l-8th 8 grains.

3.........l-6th 10 grains.

4.........l-4th 15 grains.

7.........l-3d 1 scruple.

14.........half half drachm.

20.........2-3ds 2 scruples.

Above 21 The full dose .... one 1 drachm.

65 The inverse gradation of the above.

Sex. Women require smaller doses than men, and the state of theuterine system must never be overlooked.

Temperament. Stimulants and purgatives more readily affect thesanguine than the phlegmatic, and consequently the former requiresmaller doses.

Habits. The knowledge of these is essential; for those in the ha-bitual use of stimulants and narcotics require larger doses to affectthem when labouring under disease, whilst those who have habituatedthemselves to the use of saline purgatives are more easily affected bythese remedies.

Climate. Medicines act differently on the same individual in summerand in winter, and in different climates.

State of Stomach, and Idiosyncracy. The least active remediesoperate very violently on some individuals, owing to a peculiarityof stomach, or rather disposition of body, unconnected with tem-perament. This state can be discovered only by accident or time ;but when it is known, it should always be attended to by the prac-titioner.

In prescribing, the practitioner should always so regulate the inter-vals between the doses, that the next dose may be taken before theeffect produced by the first is altogether effaced; for by not attending