-- 



WKir.HTS AXD MEASURES. 



WKKiHTs AND MEASURES. 



IH 



Paris, 1780. On the measurement of the earth on which the metre 

 depend*; Me TRIQOXOIIKTIUCAL SURVKT. The i-ystem of measures 

 tlerivol fruui this great operation was introduced in 1785 (by the 

 law of 18 Criminal. An 111., or, to speak intelligibly, March. 1795): 

 not that the survey was then completed, but because, in the hurry to 

 get rid of the old system, it was decided to introduce a " metre pro- 

 vwuire " obtained from the existing surveys. The definitive metrical 

 system was introduced in 1 701*, but it was found impossible to drive 

 out the old subdivisions; accordingly, in 1812, the "Bysteme usueL" 

 as it was called, was allowed* to be engrafted upon the metrical system; 

 in which the measures, Ac., were taken from the metrical system, but 

 with the ancient subdivisions adapted to them. Even this was very 

 far from entirely driving out the old system. In 1337 a law was 

 passed ordaining that from and after the let of January, 1840, no other 

 weights nor measures should be used except those of the pure rntrical 

 system, and this law seems to have been effective. In the ancient 

 French system the jnW de Roi visa 12*7892 English inches, the anno 

 (at Paris) 46-85 of the same. The toise was 6 feet. For the itinerary 

 measures see MILE. The ar/><-( o"ordcm*ance was 1 acre, 1 rood, 

 2 perches (English) ; the arpeut corn-sun 1 acre, 7 perches, the arprnt 

 >l( Parii S roods, 15 perches, English. The acre de Nurmaxdie was 

 2 acres, 2 perches, English. For measuring liquids, the pinte was less 

 than the English quart by itg 61st part. Two boissons made a demi- 

 setier, 2 demisetiers a chopine, 2 chopines a pinto, 2 pintea a quarte, 

 4 quartos a setier, 36 setiers a muid (70-8 English gallons). For grain, 

 16 litrons made a boisseau, 3 boisseaux a minot, 2 niinota a mine, 

 2 mines a setier, 12 sellers a muid. The minot was 1*108 English 

 bushels. The principal weight, called poidt de marc, was the livre of 

 9216 French grains, or 7555 English grains ; 72 grains made one gros, 

 8 gros an ounce, 8 ounces a marc, 2 marcs a livre. The apothecaries 

 divided the ounce into 2 duelles, the duelle into 4 sciliques, and also 

 into 6 sextules and into 8 drachms, the drachm into 3 scruples, and 

 therefore the scruple into 12 grains. 



The new system is called metrical, as derived from the measurement 

 of the earth. Its first measure, the metre, is presumed to be the 

 ten-millionth part of a line drawn from the pole to the equator, and is 

 39'37079 English inches. All the multiples and subdivisions of every 

 measure are decimal, and are formed by the same prefixes. For 1U, 

 100, 1000, and 10,000, the syllables Dem, Heclo, Kila, and Uyria are 

 prefixed ; and for tenths, hundredths, thousandths, the syllables Deci, 

 Centi, Milli. Latinf prefixes indicate division, Greek prefixes multi- 

 plication. Thus the hectometre is 100 metres, and the centimetre 

 the hundredth part of a metre. The metre being thus settled, the other 

 fundamental measures are formed as follows: For surface -or area, the 

 Are, which is a decametre square, or 100 square metres, or 02471143 

 of an English acre, or 3*9538 English perches. 



For solidity, the ttere, or cubic meter, 35'32 cubic feet English, or 

 220-09687 imperial gallons English. 



For liquid measures, the litre, or cubic decimetre, -22009687 of an 

 imperial gallon, or a very little more than a pint and three-quarters 

 English. 



For weight, the gramme, a cubic centimetre of distilled water at the 

 freezing-]K>int, -00220606 of an English pound averdupois, or 15-442 

 grains? English. The kilogramme is threfore 2-2 pounds averdupois, 

 or, roughly, 50 kilogrammes make a hundredweight. The franc, the 

 unit of money, is divided into 10 declines, and each decime into 10 

 centimes. The sous is therefore 5 centimes. The advantage of the 

 whole system, it-Am ettMithed, is so great, that all who are fully aware 

 of it, long for the introduction of a similar one into our own country. 

 A Frenchman, when told that a kilogramme costs 253 francs 74 cen- 

 times, sees at once that a gramme costs 25 centimes and nj&ths of a 

 centime. An Englishman, wanting to know the price of an ounce when 

 a hundredweight costs 253/. lit. lOrf., must go through the whole of 

 the following process : 



253*. 14. lOrf. 



20 



1792)5074(2 

 3584 



112 

 8 



896 



2 



1792 



12 



1792)17890(10 

 to get It. 10d the answer. 



The lyUtmt tund, now abolished, was as follows, the divisions being 

 those of the old system. The toise was 2 metres, and the foot its sixth 

 part The aune was 8 feet 111 inches English. The boisseau was one- 

 eighth of the hectolitre : the litron was 1*074 Paris pintes. The livre 

 was 600 grammes. The arpent was that of the old system. 



It is not in our limit* to give a complete list of the weight* and 



and a body of science which they say has been forgotten, but which they have 

 never shown to have had existence. 



* In 1016 it was enforced, deci-n-JdivUion being prohibited in retail basins**. 



t The Latin prefixes suit the French language well enough : the Greek ones 

 re Incongtuona and unsightly. Nor baa the system been kept to entirely ; the 

 centigrade thermometer ought to have been hrctograir. 



; Dr. Kelly ('Cambist,' I. 141) makes It 1S-4J4 grains, for which he gives 



of foreign * countries. Wo have selected accordingly a num- 

 ber of places from the smaller works on exchange operations, presuming 

 that the best choice we can make is that which includes the most 

 important countries or spots which have large money-dealings with mir 

 own country. All the weights, Ac. named have been taken t for these 

 place* from Kelly's ' Cambist' All the English measures are of course 

 imperial (the gallons being reduced by ourselves into imperial gallons), 

 and each measure is given in English measures. 



A nutria. The metrical system is introduced in the Italian do- 

 minions. In Austria Proper, gold and silver are weighed In- the 

 Vienna marc of 4333 grains. The pfund is 1-235 pounds averdupois : 

 the metzen is 1-691 bushels. The eiuier is 12-444 gallons. Ti: 

 is 12-45 inches : the ell, 30'66 inches. The joch is 1 acre, 1 r- 

 lurches. 



/lararia. The Augsburg marc is 3643 grains; 24 Ib. commercial 

 weight is 25 Ib. averdupois ; and 24 Ib. carriers' weight is 26 Ib. aver- 

 dupois, nearly. The meteeu is 1-515 bushels ; the fuder (16 muids) is 

 31-24 bushels. The foot (half the short ell) is 1 1667 inches. The 

 long ell is 24 inches. 



Bremen. For gold and silver, as at Hamburg. The commercial 

 pound is 1-098 pounds arerdiipoU. The last is 78*217 bushels. The 

 ohm is 31-562 gallons. The foot, or half-ell, is 11-38 inches. 



Colo-net. Follow in general the weights and measures of the mot In r 

 country, except where they have passed under other governments, in 

 which case there is usually a mixture of the two. 



Constantinople. ~1'he cbequec is 4957 grains. The oke is 2-832 

 pounds averdupois. The tallow (dry) is 7*296 gallons. The almud ix 

 1-150 gallons. The pike is 27 inches. The measures of Turkey are 

 very imperfectly known. 



Denmark. The pound for gold and silver is 7266 grains. The 

 commercial pound is 1-1028 pounds averdupois. The barrel is 3-8264 

 bushels. The viertel is 1-701 gallons. The foot, or half-ell, is the 

 Khineland foot of 12-356 English inches. The toende of com is 

 5J acres. 



Florence and Leghorn. The cautaro is 150 pounds of '74864 pounds 

 averdupois each. The stajo is *6702 bushel. The barile is 10-033 

 gallons. The braccio is 22*98 English inches. The saccata is 1 acre 

 36 perches. 



J'ranliforl. For gold and silver, the Cologne marc. The common 

 pound is 1-03 pounds averdupois. The centner is 112*25 pounds aver- 

 dupois. The matter is 2*9705 bushels. The ohm is 32*454 gallons. 

 The foot is 11*27 inches ; the ell, 21*24 inches. 



Geneva The mark is 3785 grains. The poidt fort is 1*214 pounds 

 averdupois; the puidt foible one-sixth less. The coupe is 21*361 

 liu-Oiel-*. The setier is 99-53 gallons. The foot is 19*2 inches. The 

 acre is 1 acre, 1 rood, 4 perches. 



Genoa. The pound tottile for gold and silver is 4891-5 grains. The 

 pound yrnsso is '76875 pounds averdupois. The mina is 3'321 bushels. 

 The mezzarolo is 32 -57 gallons. The palmo is 9*725 inches. 



Hamburg. The Cologne marc is 3608 grains. The pound troy is 

 two marcs. The commercial pound is 1*068 pounds averdupois. The 

 last of wheat (30 scheffels) is 10'9 quarters ; the ahm is 31*85 gallons. 

 The foot is 11*289 inches. The scheffel (quantity usually sown with 

 a scheffel) of land is 1 acre 6 lurches. 



Holland. The marc is 3798 grains. The pound is two marcs ; but 

 the commercial pound in 1 -OS'.iS pounds averdupois. The last (variously 

 divided) is 10-231 quarters. The aani (256 pints) is 34-16 gallons. 

 The Rhineland foot is 12-86 inches. There are several ells of about 

 27 inches. The Rhineland perch is 12 Rhineland feet, and the Rhine- 

 land morgen or acre is 2 acres 16 perches. 



Ionian Islantlt. The weights and measures are mostly Venetian and 

 Turkish. 



Lttbeck. For gold and silver, as at Hamburg. The commercial 

 pound is 1-0685 pounds averdupois. The scheffel is *92 bushels. The 

 ahm is 31*85 gallons. The foot, or half-ell, is 11*346 inches. 



Malta. The pound for gold and silver is 4886 grams. The commer- 

 cial pound is 1-745 pounds averdupois. The salma is 7*968 bushels. 

 The foot is 11*167 inches. The cauna (8 palmi) is 81*9 inches. 



Milan. The mark is 3627 grains. The pound toUile is '7206 pounds 

 averdupois ; the pound gratia is 1 -682 pounds averdupois. The moggio 

 (32 quartan) is 4*0284 bushels. The brenta (12 quartan) is 15*71 

 gallons. The braccio is 23*42 inches. The metrical system is also 

 introduced, with Italian names. 



Naples. The pound for gold and silver is 4950 grains. The csntaro 

 grotto is 196*5 pounds averdupois, the cantaro piccolo 106 pounds aver- 

 dupois. The tomolo is 1*407 bushels. The barile is 9*172 gallons. 

 The palmo is 10*38 inches. The moggio is 3 roods 12 perches. 



Netherlands. Since 1820 the French metrical system has been in 

 use, with Flemish names. 



jal. The marc is 3541*5 grains. The commercial pound is 



* There Is s Urge lilt of the fundamental measures of length, which ire 

 those molt wanted, In ' Table of Continental Lineal and Square Measures,' by 

 W. Woolhousc (London, W.ale, 1836). 



t We ftnd the weights, &c., in the works from which the list of places was 

 taken, rather different from those in Dr. Kelly's work. But the latter work in 

 the best authority, and nothing but evidence can alter any weight or measure 

 given In it. When a standard work exists in any language, it is absurd In any 

 second-rate writer to iliffcr from it without stating wliy. 



