Lesson 2. Classification of Drugs

New words:

Solid – твердое вещество

Semisolid – полутвердое, полужидкое вещество

Swallow – глотать

Multiple – многочисленный

Irritating – раздражающий

To be coated with – быть покрытым оболочкой

To be familiar with – быть хорошо знакомым с

To melt – плавиться, таять

Solvent – растворитель

Constituent – составляющая

Suitable – подходящий

To be intended for -предназначаться

The Common Forms of Drugs.

Most of the drugs dispensed fall into three categories: solids, semisolids and liquids. It is up to the physician to decide upon the form in which his medication is to be administered. Perhaps the patient cannot swallow tablets – especially true of small children – and must always receive medication in a liquid form. Sometimes multiple diseases complicate (усложнять) the picture too. For instance, a patient with a chronic ulcer might not tolerate a cough syrup containing the irritating ammonium chloride.

Solids

Tablets. These are usually made in large quantities by a drug manufacturer and dispensed in lots of 50 to 1000. The powders are forced into a solid mass by compression. Subsequently (затем) these compressed tablets may be coated with sugar, gelatin, chocolate.

Pills. The oldtime pharmacist was very familiar with the making of these globular masses of medicinal substances. Pills are now coated with sugar and are frequently machine-made.

Suppositories. Suppositories are made of medicinal substances incorporated (включенный, внедренный) in a base which melts at a body temperature. For this purpose cocoa butter and gelatin are commonly employed.