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health advisory Hospital Doctor Yu 2007-11-8 19:08:56

why rx is writen on priscription letter?

Answers:

Rx is the symbol that originated in medical prescriptions. "鈩?quot; (also written as "Rx") and "medical prescription" are sometimes used interchangeably. The use of 鈩?in prescriptions originated as an astrological symbol that was written for talismanic reasons at the start of medical prescriptions. Later it changed into 鈩?(an uppercase R with its tail crossed), and was used as an abbreviation for the Latin word recipe = "take" (imperative), i.e. an instruction to the pharmacist to take the items listed in order to prepare the medicine. When printing came, it was rendered as "Rx"

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ask Cecil!

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrx..

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I think it used to be Px but as people wrote it faster, the P melted into the x and we now have Rx.

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