Please pass the strychnine: the art of Victorian pharmacy

Table 3: Latin abbreviations commonly used in prescriptions and their meaning Abbreviation; Latin term English meaning gtt/gtts, gutta/guttae Drop/drops am, ante meridiem Morning pm, post meridiem Evening od, omni die Once daily om, omni mane Every morning on, omni nocte Every night m et n, mane et nocte Morning and night bid, bis in die 2 times daily tid,* ter in die 3 times daily qid,† quater in die 4 times daily qh, quaque hora Every h q2h, quaque secunda hora Every 2 h q3h, quaque tertia hora Every 3 h *May also be written as tds, ter die sumendum. †May also be written as qds, quater die sumendum.

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