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Remedy vs Cure vs Medicine vs Medicament vs Medication vs Specific vs Physic

Remedycuremedicinemedicamentmedicationspecificphysic are comparable when they mean something prescribed or used for the treatment of disease.

Remedy applies to a substance or treatment that is known or regarded as effective in bringing about recovery or restoration of health or the normal functioning of the body.

Cure, more positive than remedy in implying complete recovery or restoration of health, is a common term to designate anything advocated as being or thought to be conducive to complete recovery.

Medicine is the ordinary term for a substance or preparation taken internally in treating a disturbance of the normal functions of the body.

Medicament and medication are general terms used especially by doctors and pharmacists for all medicinal substances and preparations whether taken internally or applied externally.

Sometimes, however, medicament is applied specifically to a medicinal substance or compound that is the active ingredient of a remedy and medication, to a compounded remedy containing one or more medicaments together with adjuvants (as flavoring agents and vehicles).

Specific is applied to something, usually a drug, known to be effective in curing a specific disease.

Physic is an old-fashioned equivalent of medicine , but in modern use it has specialized to become synonymous with purgative or cathartic.