51 



thin : The two hands were applied several times consecu- 

 tively upon a plane surface fixed for the purpose ; and the 

 beginning and termination of the applications being marked, 

 the interval was divided by the number of fingers applied. 

 Thus four digits constituted a palm or hand (in breadth); 

 and it was directly found that four hand's-breadths mea- 

 sured the foot from heel to toe both in extremo. This 

 appears as the greek pom, and the roman pes, pedis (whence 

 the french pied, the dutch fuss, and the english foot). By a 

 further prosecution of these simple but practical observa- 

 tions, it was found that six palms reached from the elbow 

 to the further extreme of the middle finger : this measure 

 of a foot (sixteen digits or inches) and a half in extent, 

 allowing for difference of language, was termed the natural 

 cubit, and has its analogue in the pechys of the Greeks and 

 the cubitus (whence the french coudee and the english cubit) 

 of the Romans, with whom it also received the synonime of 

 ulna, from which is derived the english ell and the dutch 

 elle. At some later period of time, practical convenience 

 introduced yet another element of familiar measurement de- 

 rived from the fingers, and now technically termed nail: its 

 value is two and a quarter inches, being the average extent 

 from the middle joint of the fore finger to the tip of the nail. 



In addition to the natural cubit of twenty-four inches, 

 another, consisting of twenty-eight inches, and denominated 

 the royal cubit, was early formed for the more convenient 

 measurement of larger distances, by placing the elbow of 

 one arm at the origin of the distance to be measured, laying 

 down the forearm, then placing the other hand crosswise 

 in contact with the tip of the extended middle finger 

 already laid down, and then shifting the first arm to the 

 other side of the hand remaining fixed, which in its turn 

 gives the opportunity to shift this hand, and so on until the 

 desired measurement is accomplished : the length of the 

 combined arm and hand formed the royal cubit. Both these 

 cubits are mentioned in the earlier jewish writings, the 



