PHARMACOPOIEAL CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE

PHARMACOPOIEAL CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE

When prescribing a drug, which is either a chemical element (sulfur, iron) or a compound (acid, oxide, salt), a physician writes neither a chemical symbol of the element, nor the formula of the compound. He uses their nomenclatural names in accordance with the rules existing for the International chemical nomenclature in Latin, i. e. he uses systematic names. Thus, both for a physician and a pharmacist it is important to know precisely the Latin names of chemical compounds as well as the basic rules for constructing them.

All Latin names of chemical elements are nouns of the neuter gender of the 2^nd declension ending in –um.

Argentum Ag silver

Arsenicum As arsenic

Aurum Au gold

Barium Ba barium

Bismuthum Bi bismuth

Borum B boron

Bromum Br bromine

Calcium Ca calcium

Carboneum C carbon

Chlorum Cl chlorine

Cuprum Cu copper

Ferrum Fe iron

Fluorum (Phthorum) F fluorine

Iodum I iodine

Hydrogenium H hydrogen

Nitrogenium N nitrogen

Oxygenium O oxygen

Hydrargyrum (Mercurium) Hg mercury

Kalium (Potassium) K potassium

Lithium Li lithium

Magnesium (Magnium) Mg magnesium

Manganum Mn manganese

Natrium (Sodium) Na sodium

Phosphorus P phosphorus

Plumbum Pb lead

Silicium Si silicon

Stibium (Antimonium) Sb antimony

Sulfur S sulphur

Thallium Tl thallium

Zincum Zn zinc

NAMES OF ACIDS

I. 1. Names of oxygenous acids are constructed by adding certain suffixes, characterizing the oxidation level, to the base of an acid-forming element. They are adjectives, which are in agreement with the noun “acidium” (acidium, i n – acid).

The suffix –icum (English –ic) corresponds to the maximum oxidation level of the acid-forming element, for example:

H₂SO₃ – acidium sulfuricum – sulfuric acid

HNO₃ – acidium nitricum – nitric acid

2. If an element forms two acids, the name of the one with a low oxidation level is constructed with the help of the suffix –osum (English - ous) added to the Latin base of the name of the chemical element, for example:

H₂SO₃ – acidium sulfurosum – sulfurous acid

HNO₂ – acidium nitrosum* – nitrous acid
NB!* Compound names of the chemical elements, i. e. Nitrogenium; Oxygenium; Hydrogenium loose their second root when used to construct the names of the chemical compounds, so they use: nitro-; oxy-; hydro- correspondingly.
II. Names of oxygen-free acids are constructed with the help of the prefix hydro- added to the base of the name of an element and the suffix

–icum (English -hydro…ic), for example:

HCl – acidum hydrochloricum (hydrochloric acid)

Hl  acidum hydroiodicum (hydroiodic acid)

HCN – acidum hydrocyanicum (hydrocyanic acid)

H₂S  acidum hydrosulfuricum (hydrosulfuric acid)

H₂F₂ – acidum hydrofluoricum (hydrofluoric acid)

acidum tartaricum – tartaric acid

acidum citricum – citric acid

acidum acetylsalicylicum – acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin)

acidum nicotinicom – nicotinic acid (Niacin)

acidum formicicum – formic(ic) acid

acidum lacticum – lactic acid

acidum ascorb(in)icum* – ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)

acidum glutam(in)icum* – glutamic acid

acidum carbolicum – carbolic acid (Phenol)

acidum folicum – folic acid (Lifsulfas)
*The updated Latin variant of these acid names excludes the suffix

-in!

EXERCISES:

I. Fill in the blanks:

1. As you remember, mercury in Latin is …, and Hydrogenium is for English …

2. The Englsih name for Kalium is …, and Sodium is English for Latin …, Antimony being translated into Latin like …

3. To be able to construct any acid name, it is necessary to recollect the name of the acid forming … and to add …, characterizing the oxidation level to its base.

4. If there are two oxidation levels, the suffix … characterizes high oxidation level, and the suffix -osum - … oxidation level.
2. Construct the names of acids in Latin and in English:

Latin English

Example: Acidum propionicum Propionic acid

Acidum glutamin… … -ic acid

… salicyl… … -ic acid

… …-icum carbon… acid

… …-icum nitr… acid

… tellur… … -ous acid

… arsenic… … -ous acid

… … -osum  sulfur… acid

… … -osum  nitr… acid
NAMES OF OXIDES

Pharmacopoeias of different countries use two types of Latin names of oxides and salts (esters). The one used by the International Pharmacopoeia is considered to be commonly used.

According to it, names of oxides, peroxides and hydroxides consist of two nouns, the first of them being the name of the chemical element in the Genitive Case singular, the second one – the group name of the oxide – the noun oxydum, i n (oxide) with the corresponding prefixes in the Nominative case singular.

e.g.: Lat. Magnii oxydum Engl. Magnesium oxide

Magnesii peroxydum Magnesium peroxide

Hydrogenii hydroxydum Hydrogen hydroxide

Thus, English names of oxides consist of the name of the chemical element, expressed by a noun in the Common Case and used as an attribute, plus the noun “oxide; peroxide; hydroxide”.

NB! Mind the difference in spelling between the Latin “oxydum” and the English “oxide”.
Memorize some nomenclatural names:

1. 
   Hydrargyri oxydum flavum ­ yellow mercuric oxide;
   
2. 
   Magnesii oxydum  Magnesium oxide or Magnesia usta;
   
3. 
   Calcii oxydum  Calcium oxide or Calcaria usta.