WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 491 



erally used, as the tea-spoonful, table-spoonful, wine-glassful, 

 tea-cupful, and tin-cupful. These measures may be used in all 

 cases, except where very powerful medicines are used. 



TABLE OF APOTHECARY'S WEIGHTS. 



This weight is used by the apothecary or druggist in putting up medicines 

 to be given in small quantity. 



20 grains (marked (?r.,) make 1 scruple. 



3 scruples " 3, " 1 dram. 



8 drams " 5j " 1 ounce. 



12 ounces " g, " 1 pound, (lb). 



Figures placed before, or Roman numerals placed after, the above charac- 

 ters show how much of the weight represented by the character is to be used, 

 thus : 10 grs. means ten grains ; 2 5 means two drams ; grs. vi means six 

 grains ; § ix means nine ounces, and so on. Of any light powder, as pow- 

 dered roots, leaves, or bark, a grain is about what would lie on one-fourth of 

 an inch of the point of a pen-knife blade; a scruple, about half a level tea- 

 spoonful; a dram, about one rounding tea-spoonful; an ownc^, about two round- 

 ing table-spoonfuls; a pound, a pint-cupful, packed. If t'_e article is heavy, 

 as salt, saltpeter, loaf-sugar, etc., it will require only from one-half to two- 

 thirds the above bulks to make proper weight. Some very light articles 

 would require more than the above quantities. 



FLUID MEASURE. 

 Used in measuring liquids, as water, tinctures, liquors, infusions, sirups, etc. 



60 minims (marked n\,,) make 1 dram. 



8 drams " 5, " 1 ounce. 



16 ounces " g, " 1 pint. 



8 pints " Oct., " 1 gallon, (cong.) 



In this measure the ounce and dram are sometimes written "fluid-ounce" 

 and "fluid-dram," and an / is sometimes placed before the character, thus: 

 /g X means ten fluid ounces. A minim is one drop — of some liquids more, 

 of others less ; a dram is about one tea-spoonful ; an ounce is about two 

 table-spoonfuls; a pint is a pint bottle or tin-cupful. 



If medicines are very powerful, in which it is necessary to be very partic- 

 ular about the size of the dose, the weights and measures according to the 

 above tables should be used; in other cases, the approximate weights and 

 measures above explained, will be sufficiently accurate. 



