AND PHARMACOPEIA. . 399 



wei<Tlit. Formerly a drop was the smallest liquid measure; this 

 being found very variable, depending upon the size and form of 

 the vessel from which the liquid was dropped, upon the density 

 of the liquid, and other circumstances, a more correct and con- 

 venient method has been established. For this purpose a small 

 glass measure is made, in which the drachm, or sixty grains, is 

 divided into sixty parts, which are named minims ; it is therefore 

 named a minim glass, and the term minim is substituted in pre- 

 scriptions or receipts for drops. 



Liquid Measure. 



Medical 

 cliaracter. 



60 minims T... M. minim 1 drachm 



8 drachms 5 drachm 1 ounce 



16 ounces ^ ounce 1 lb. or pint 



2 pints or lbs. tb pound 1 quart 



4 quarts qrt. quart 1 gallon. 



The Latin word Octarium is sometimes used for pint, and 

 Congius for gallon ; Cyathus, a tea-cup full ; Cochleare Mag- 

 num, a table-spoonful, or about half an ounce ; Cochleare Me- 

 dium, a dessert- spoonful, or about 2 drachms; Cochleare Mini- 

 mum, a tea-spoonful, or 1 drachm. 



Dry Measure (Troy). 



Medical 

 cliaracter. 



20 grains gr. grain 1 scruple 



3 scruples 9 scruple 1 drachm 



8 drachms 3 drachm 1 ounce 



12 ounces | ounce 1 pound * 



lb pound. 

 M. or ]\Ianipulus, signifies a handful. 

 P. or Pugillum, the 8th part of a handful. 



In reading French medical or veterinary books, some difficulty 

 is experienced in bringing their measures to correspond with 

 ours, in consequence of their having adopted a decimal division, 

 both In their liquid and dry measure ; and they also appear to 

 feel a similar inconvenience from the difference between the old 

 and the new division of measure. For example : In Thomson's 

 London Dispensatory, the French gramme Is stated to be equal 

 to 15-444 grains, or about 15 grains and a half. Dr. Nysten, In 

 his DIctionnaire Medicale, makes the gramme amount to 20 

 grains ; and In Bourgelat's Matiere Medicale, by Huzard, It Is 

 stated to be equal to 18 grains. There appear to be some errors 



* Medicines are bought and sold by Avoirdupois weight, in which the 

 pound consists of sixteen ounces, or one fourth more than Troy weight. 



