PEESOEIPTION WRITING 



91 



WINE MEASURE. 

 Sign 







O 



•Fl. § .... 



Fl. 3 .... 



A drop is often used synonymously with minim, which 

 is correct if the substance spoken of is water, or a liquid of 

 nearly similar density. If the liquid is not of similar den- 

 sity, then a minim, or the sixtieth part of a drachm, is far 

 from being a drop as measured by dropping a liquid from 

 any ordinary utensil. Any amount from 45 drops to 276 

 drops, measured in this way, may be obtained from a 

 drachm of fluid, according to its density, mode of dropping, 

 and kind of vessel from which it is dropped. 



A gutta (gtt.), then, is of no fixed value, but means a 

 drop as dropped from a vessel; while a minim is always the 

 sixtieth part of a drachm. 



RELATIVE VALUE OP UNITS IN THE WINE MEASURE, 



C O § 3 m , 



10 = 8 = 138 = 1024 = 61,440 



Oi. = 16 = 138 = 7,680 



|i. = 8 = 480 



3 i. = 60 



RELATIVE VALUE OP UNITS IN TROY SYSTEM. 



lb 

 1 



= 13 = 



3 



96 = 



8 = 



3i. = 



3 



388 



34 



3 



3i. 



Gr. 



5,760 



480 



60 



30 



The abbreviation, FL, is usually omitted in prescription 

 writing, as referring to fluids, the character of the prepara- 

 tion being sufficiently apparent. The Eoman numerals are 

 used to express the quantities employed. The Eoman 

 numerals are written under a horizontal line, the i's or j's 

 are dotted (they are identical in Latin) and the dot serves 

 to enforce and check the numbers used. Fractions are 



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