from
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
RESCRIPTION, French law. A rescription is a letter by which the maker
requests some one to pay a certain sum of money, or to account for him to a
third person for it. Poth. Du Contr. de Change, n. 225.
2. According to this definition, bills of exchange are a species of
rescription. The difference appears to be this, that a bill of exchange is
given when there has been a contract of exchange between the drawer and the
payee; whereas the rescription is sometimes given in payment of debt, and at
other times it is lent to the payee. Id.