Mortar
Mortar (medical)
Mortar (pronounced: /ˈmɔːrtər/) is a vessel in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle. In the medical field, it is often used in pharmacies to prepare medicines.
Etymology
The term "mortar" comes from the Latin word mortarium, which means a bowl for grinding. The word was first used in English in the 14th century.
Usage in Medicine
In medicine, a Mortar and pestle is used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances. The pestle is a heavy and blunt club-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed using the pestle.
Pharmacists traditionally used this tool to compound medicinal ingredients into a fine powder or paste. This method is still used in some pharmacies today, although it has largely been replaced by machine automation.
Related Terms
- Pharmacy: The science or practice of the preparation and dispensing of medicinal drugs.
- Pestle: A tool used to crush, mash or grind materials in a mortar.
- Compound (pharmacy): The process of combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient.
- Pharmacology: The branch of medicine concerned with the uses, effects, and modes of action of drugs.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Mortar
- Wikipedia's article - Mortar
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