What does the 'Rx' stand for on prescription labels?

elburcher

A modification of R is the symbol Rx, used medically for recipe %5BLat.,=take%5D and liturgically for responsum %5BLat.,=response%5D. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0840856.html Jun 24 02, 2:44 AM

Barrow boy

On a prescription the symbol Rx (or R) stands for the word Recipe, meaning (in Latin) 'to take.' Now in pharmacological contexts like catalogs, the symbol Rx indicates that a drug or medicine is not free to buy, but has to be prescribed by a certified physician. The modern meaning of Rx is thus that only a certified physician may prescribe this medicine. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/Art.asp?li=MNI and ArticleKey=7934 Jun 24 02, 7:25 AM

Mother Goose

The traditional RX symbol cannot be represented on a typewriter keyboard. It consists of an R and an X which are merged to resemble an R with an extension of the right leg of the R with a stroke across it (I hope that makes sense). The R part of the symbol stands for the Latin 'recipere' which means 'take this' and it is related to the word recipe. The X part of the symbol is derived from the symbol for the Roman God, Jupiter. It represents a prayer or invocation to Jupiter that the treatment would result in a cure, with divine help. So RX really means 'take this and pray'. It goes back to ancient Roman times when people believed that if you were sick, it was because you had offended the gods and the illness was retribution. (I teach Medical Terminology). Jun 24 02, 9:28 AM

mibmob

It isn't an x it is simply part of the abbreviation for the latin interrogative Recipe. You find 14th century alchemical manuscripts with this all the time. Jun 29 02, 4:54 PM