This symbol can mean several things (including 'quam' and 'farthing') in other contexts; and the 'quarter' abbreviation can take many forms, all of them based on some modified form of 'q'.
Further examples may be found on the page devoted to ambiguous abbreviations.
Medical recipes, then and now, can often seem confusing because of their wealth of abbreviations and symbols. Some of the most common abbreviations and symbols, with suggested capture, are illustrated here. As other symbols appear in the data, they will be added to this page.
In brief:
| Symbol | Example | Meaning | Record as |
|---|---|---|---|
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ounce (apothecaries' unit of measure) | &ounce; (the variant, looped form is rare. See Wb5124) |
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dram or drachm (apothecaries' unit of measure) | &dram; |
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scruple (apothecaries' unit of measure) | &scruple; |
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Pounds (weight or money) | <ABBR>lb</ABBR> or <ABBR EXPAN="pound(s)">lb</ABBR> |
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"Recipe" ('take ...') in recipes and prescriptions | ℞ (from ISOpub) |
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"Semis" ('half') with units of measure | &s;s (etc., depending on the form of the 's'; not really a symbol, just the ordinary letter "s" doubled; |
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"Semis" ('half') with units of measure--variant forms | Many variant forms are found. In general, try to identify the basic letter form (s, &s;, ss, &s;s, etc.), and place ABBR tags around that, e.g. <ABBR>&s;s</ABBR> or <ABBR>&s;</ABBR> | |
| [various alterations of q] | |
quart, quarterne, or quarter (as unit of measure) | <ABBR EXPAN="quarter">q</ABBR> This symbol can mean several things (including 'quam' and 'farthing') in other contexts; and the 'quarter' abbreviation can take many forms, all of them based on some modified form of 'q'. |
NOTE: These examples are from S1358
Suggested capture: <P>Rec. Aquae vitae &ounce;. ij. ss. croci &scruple;. ss. sarco|collae &dram;iij. resinae pini &dram;ij.ss. mellis rosacei &ounce;.j.ss.succi apij & betonicae, ana &dram;.iij.ss. <HI>Boyle them till halfe bee consumed, adde ... </HI></P>
NOTE: There are several common abbreviations here: the tall symbol for "ounce" (looks like a flat-topped "3" with an extra bowl); "ss" (tall s followed by short s), an abbreviation for "semis" (="half"); the symbol for the unit of measure "scruple" (looks like a backwards-facing Greek "e"); and the symbol for the unit of measure "dram" (which seems to be a special use of the medieval English letter "yogh", though it is easily confused with "3" or "z"). These should be captured, respectively, as &ounce; (character entity); ss (the ordinary letters); &scruple; (character entity); and either &dram; (preferred) or &yogh; (acceptable) (character entities).
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Paracelsus.</NOTE>Rec. Rad. cyclaminis &ounce;.ss. diapensiae m.j.consolidae mediae m.ss. <HI>Boile them in</HI> lib.ss. vini <HI>to the consumption of the third part: to these may bee added in this sort for to giue,</HI> Rec. decocti &ounce;.iij. olei cariophyllorum di|stillati &scruple;.j. <HI>Mixe them, and hereof giue thrée times a day to drinke.</HI></P>
<HEAD>Another for that purpose.</HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Schylan|drus.</NOTE>Rec. Consolidae maioris & mediae, sani|$ulae, betonicae, ana.m.j. ophioglossi, agrimoniae, ana.m.ss. rhabarbari &ounce;.ss. mummiae fincerae &dram;.ij. spermatis cei &dram;.j. <HI>Decoct them in a double vessell close stopped, giue tenne drammes at a draught morning and euen|ing.</HI></P>
NOTE. The "m" abbreviation is sometimes for "minim" ("drop" as a unit of measure) and sometimes for "manipulus" ("handful" as a unit of measure).
NOTE: These examples are from S4034.
NOTE: There are several common abbreviations here: ounce, dram, an odd form of semis, scruple, quarter, ana (and a strange use of -z in 'az' (= 'as') in the note on the left.
NOTE: These examples are from Wb5124.
NOTE: There are several common abbreviations here: (an odd form of) ounce, dram, scruple, recipe, semis.
NOTE: These examples are from S12499 (vid 15405).
[Take ... holly]hocke, violets, <HI>ana.</HI> m. i. ey-bright, &s;e|landine, an. m. <ABBR>&s;</ABBR> of camomill flowers, and melilot, an p. <ABBR>&s;</ABBR> line-&s;eeds, &dram; ii. faenel and ani-&s;eeds an &dram; i. &s;eeth them for a fomentation. This <HI>collirium</HI> &s;hall be put into the eye. Take of the muci|lage of quince, and line-&s;eed dravvn in water of pellitorie on the vvall, <HI>ana.</HI> &ounce; i. of faenell and eye-bright vvater <HI>ana</HI> &ounce; <ABBR>&s;</ABBR> di&s;&s;olue herein of myrrhe and aloes, <HI>ana.</HI> &dram; <ABBR>&s;</ABBR>, of <HI>Beniamin</HI> and <HI>&s;torax cala|mit, ana.</HI> &scruple; ii. make a &s;alue of all the&s;e.
NOTE: These examples are from S12499 (vid 15405).
... take of water, of eye-bright and plantaine an &ounce; i. of &s;yruppe of violets &ounce; i. <ABBR>&s;</ABBR>, of &s;ugar candy &ounce; <ABBR>&s;</ABBR> make a <HI>collirium.</HI> If greater clean|&s;ing be required, you &s;hall v&s;e this. take of betony and buglo&s;&s;e vvater <HI>ana</HI> &ounce; i. <ABBR>&s;</ABBR>, of hony of ro&s;es, and &s;yrup of worm vvood, ana. &ounce; <ABBR>&s;</ABBR>, of myrrhe and aloes, <HI>ana.</HI> &dram;. i make a &s;alue.