1640s (pharmaceutic in the same sense is from 1540s), from Late Latin pharmaceuticus of drugs, from Greek pharmakeutikos, from pharmakeus preparer of drugs, poisoner (see pharmacy). Related: Pharmaceuticals; pharmaceutically.
White Tongue: A white coating on your tongue could mean that you are dehydrated. It can also be caused by smoking or drinking alcohol. A white coating can also be a sign of thrush, which is an infection of the mouth with the yeast Candida albicans.
The tongue is the most important articulator of speech. This muscle is extremely strong, as it must move food around in our mouths as we chew. Its other biological function is to push the food into a bolus (I prefer the less scientific term glob), and then push it down the oesophagus to our stomach. Try swallowing to feel the strength of your tongue pushing down and back. Speech, on the other hand, requires a very different approach. For the sound to resonate effectively, the less tongue root tension (i.e. tension in the extrinsic muscles of the tongue), the better. For speech you want to relax the tongue up and forward, the opposite of swallowing.