102 Professor Renwick on the 



from those formerly existing, and resting not merely for their 

 standards, but for their absolute un-^J, upon a measure deduced 

 from a constant dimension in nature, were undertaken. The 

 result of this investigation was in a system that, if tested by 

 the facility of applying to it the principles of decimal arithmetic, 

 by the scientific and practical sldll of the parties employed in 

 the task, or by the great zeal and intelligence shown by them, 

 is deserving of all praise. But in spite of the favourable cir- 

 cumstances existing at that era, when the whole nation was 

 searching after novelties, and no prejudice in favour of any 

 ancient customs could be considered as opposing, it was found 

 that it could not be introduced m its full extent ; and that the 

 part on which the proposers most prided themselves, namely, 

 the decimal division, by which it became accommodated to the 

 existing scale of arithmetic magnitude, was the first which re- 

 quired modification. On the 12th of March, 1812, previous 

 to the downfall of the Emperor Napoleon, the ancient denomi- 

 nations of lineal dimension, toise, foot, inch, &c. were restored, 

 but appropriated to measures derived from the metrical system ; 

 and since the restoration of the Bourbons, that system has been 

 further modified by the application of the ancient name of 

 pound to the half kilogramme, with which that weight nearly 

 corresponds. Nor does the necessity of making these changes 

 arise from the inveteracy of prejudices, from which the French 

 nation might be considcrorl at the time as almost entirely free, 

 but from causes actually existing in nature. The decimal nota- 

 tion, although long use has made it habitual, is by no means 

 the most convenient for the calculations of arithmetic ; it seems 

 to have originated in no other cause than the habit of counting 

 upon the fingers in the infancy of society ; and although, from 

 established habit, it would be proper in the ascending scale of 

 weights and measures in ordinary use, and in the descending 

 scale in scientific inquiry, is not applicable to the divisions of 

 the unit in traffic. For this last purpose, a system admitting 

 of binary division is alone fitted ; and with this the duodecimal 

 division of the foot is sufficiently agreeable ; while it is found in 

 the full extent in the customary divisions of the yard, the avoir- 

 dupoise pound, and the bushel. Warned, therefore, by the 

 example of the French, we should attempt no change of names. 



