Dispensatory

/dɪˈspɛnsətɔri/ noun

Definition

A book containing instructions on how to prepare medicines and compounds; or a place where medicines are dispensed.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin 'dispensatorium', derived from 'dispensare'. Originally described manuals for preparing pharmaceutical compounds.

Kelly Says

The most famous historical dispensatory is the 'London Dispensatory' (1696)—for centuries it was THE authority on what medicines worked, essentially the WebMD of its era.

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