ON THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES USED IN PHARMACY. 
231 
length, from any of these so-called natural sources, and of deriving the root of 
our scales of weight and capacity from that of lineal measure, we are at liberty 
to select any root which custom or other circumstances might render convenient; 
and provided it does not contravene any natural principle, it has as much claim 
to be considered a natural standard as if it had, by some artificial process, been 
obtained from the circumference of the earth, or the vibration of a pendulum. 
If we accept the modified avoirdupois weight as a transition scale, the pound 
would naturally become our root, both of weight and capacity ; and the inch or 
foot would be a suitable root for lineal measure, which would have the advantage 
of preserving a convenient relationship, and mode of converting the old quan¬ 
tities into the new notation, and would enable us to continue the use of esta¬ 
blished rules for converting bulk of various materials into weight. 
The report of the American Pharmaceutical Association speaks approvingly 
of the practice of calling new weights by old names. I must express my disap¬ 
probation of such a practice. I think one of the weak points of their scheme is 
the calling 34 ounces a pound, 4^ ounces an ounce, and | ounce a dram; their 
proposed pint is 41 ounces, and their gallon 16-| imperial pints. 
The octonary table, founded upon the avoirdupois pound, would stand 
thus:— 
1- 7097 grain. 
13-6781 grains. 
109-425 grains. 
2- ounces. 
1- pound. 
8’ pounds. 
64- „ 
512- „ 
4096- „ 
Objecting to all long compound names, and to all names having already an¬ 
other value attached to them, I would suggest the use of names derived from 
some object of about the weight to be expressed ; thus, the use of the word grain 
suggests the word “pea” to express 1-7097 grains, and “nut” for 13'67 grains. 
The strangeness of using these familiar words in a new sense might be obviated by 
using the Latin, this however involves an objection from the formation of the 
plural by other modes than the common English rule. Adopting English words, 
the table might stand thus :— 
Measures. 
Weights. 
Equivalent in 
present weights. 
Dew 
. . Pea . 
. . 1-7097 grains. 
Sip 
. . Nut . 
. . 13-6781 „ 
Spoon . 
. . Plum 
. . 109-425 „ 
Cup . 
• • Egg 
. . 2 oz, avoirdupois. 
Can 
. . Pound 
1 lb. „ 
Hat 
. . Cat 
8 lb. „ 
Tub . 
. . Ram 
. . 641b. 
Cask . 
. . Ox 
. . 5121b. „ 
Tank . 
. . Wain 
. . 4096 lb. „ 
If the English inch were retained as the root of the new long measure, the 
table would stand as follows, the names attached being merely suggestions, but 
^convenient enough for use in discussion :— 
Lineal measure. 
Point = 
inch. 
Pearl =* 
1 
8 
Inch — 
1 H 
Span = 
8 „ 
Lad - 
5 ft, 4 „ 
