[The medicines intended for internal use in the Formulary of Mons of 1755]

The Formulary of Mons of 1755 was in use but for 14 years. As a matter of fact, it was adopted in flagrant violation of the centralising measures promulgated by the Empress Maria Theresa who had endeavoured to impose on the entire territory of the southern Low Countries the Vienese Dispensarium, a version of which was published in Brussels in 1747. The medicines intended for internal use appearing in the Formulary of Mons are divided into two categories, namely operationes chimicae and compositiones galenicae. The former comprise of formulae alluding, on the one hand, to substances proper to alchemy (such as mercury and antimony), and, on the other, to substances derived form the techniques in current use of alchemy, namely sales, flores, distilled waters, tinctura and spiriti. Among the latter, several categories of mediciens appear prominently: the category of electuaria, loochs and conservae, that of mellitae, syrops, robs and extracts and that of tablets, trochisci, pills and powders. All these are treated therein.