Tropical home nursing / by R.J. Blackham.

  • Robert J. Blackham
Date:
1921
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tropical home nursing / by R.J. Blackham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    MEDICINES AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION, The administration of medicine demands tact from the nurse in a high degree, as from the very fact that a substance is called a ‘“‘ medicine ’”’ it is apt to be resented by a certain class of patients. Measuring Medicines.—Medicines have to be measured not only by the pharmacist who-makes up the prescrip- tion, but also by the nurse who administers it, and she must be thoroughly acquainted with the various measure- ments. The chief weights in use in medicine are the minim, the drachm, the ounce, the pint, and the gallon, and their domestic equivalents as shown in the following table. The minim is the medicinal drop: but a drop varies in size according to the nature of the fluid: thus a drop of water or spirits of wine is much smaller than a drop of castor or olive oil. Domestic measures are still generally used by doctors in their directions on prescriptions, but spoons and wine glasses differ so enormously in size that it is difficult to understand why this custom survives. A nurse should always use a graduated measure glass in administering fluid medicines. The following table shows the common domestic mea- sures with their Imperial standard equivalents :— Lable of Imperial Measures and their Approximate Domestic Equivalents. Imperial Measure. Domestic Measure. 1 minim equals =< t dEOD: 60 minims equal o. 1 drachme 2 drachms ,, .. 1 dessert spoonful,
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