What is the shorthand symbol for with?

Answer 1

When writing in medical charts we usually use "w/" or a "c" with a dash above it.

Without would then be "w/o" or an "s" with a dash above it.

It must be remembered that "shorthand" is not an exact term. There are really two major schools of shorthand, Gregg's being the most widely accepted and another called, if memory serves, Pittman's. Further, stenographic shorthand was designed to be written in calligraphic script or "cursive" style, to permit the stenographer to smoothly record what a speaker was saying in the days before magnetic tape. Shorthand was not just symbols for a few commonly used words like if but and and, but in fact included thousands of forms or "glyphs" for individual and very complicated words, many in the legal and medical fields. Therefore, any use of printed or typed characters fails to capture the reality and beauty of shorthand.

In Gregg Shorthand the character for "with" looks more or less like the number 6 written with a decidedly rightward lean, about 45 degrees. And the proper symbol for "without" is the same but with an upward sweep added to the end of the tail of the 6 at about that same angle. These symbols can be seen as intended to be written on page 257 of the Gregg Shorthand Dictionary.

The medical "shorthand" that is so common today comes mainly from Latin. The C with the superior line indicates "cum" (pronounced 'koom') Latin for the actual word "with." The S with the superior line indicates "sine" ('see nay') the Latin for "without." Many other medical terms and abbreviations are also Latin derivitives often seen in the writing of prescriptions. BID means "bis in die" or twice in a day while QID means "four times per day" or quater in die.

Answer 2

C