TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 
43 
Or the Defect of ElasUcUy in Metals sulfect to Compression. 
By Professor E. Hodgkinson, F.R.S. 
(kpmfh(pn(j and improving our Nalional Measurcst WeigJUs and Money, 
By Major-General Sir Charles \V. PaslkYj K.C.B. 
Afiirtdverting to dje proceedings and reports of parliamentary committees, royal 
BuiffliiisioDers, &c., on weights and measures, from the year 1758 to the presen 
i«,aBd to a book published by him in 1834, of which he offered to present a copy 
I# uv member of the Association who might take an interest in the subject, ne 
abaitttd the following abstract of his present plan, which, as he observed, diners 
Mlyfrom that suggested in his publication, in regard to the standards of weight 
ad of apothecary's liquid measure. 
l8t. AVw Lineal Measure proposed. 
10 tenths... 1 digit. 
10 digits .. 1 foot. 
6 feet. 1 fathom. 
1000 fathoms.... 1 mile. . 
60 miles. 1 degree of the terrestrial meridian. 
For Land Surveying. 
100 links . 1 chain of 10 fathoms. 
100 chains. 1 mile. 
For Cloth Measure. 
2 halves. 1 tenth. 
10 tenths .... . I yard of 3feet. 
^The new standard of lineal measure to be the fathom of 6 feet, marked on a rod 
other metal, and made equal to 6 feet 0*91548 inch of our F 5 «cDt mea- 
"«( !» the temperature of IT'’ of the centigrade thermometer, or <52 *0 ol rimr- 
scale. This proportion will make the proposed mile equal to 1012 /lo 
TOoi of oar present measure, being the nu-an length of thu minute of a 
terrestrial meridl.in, according to Mr. Airv’s treatise on the Figure of the 
®l!i«'EiicyclopKdiaMetroiwlitana.’ Should' the extensive Russian and ^wetiiaa 
^/y»of meridional arcs now in progress, under the direction of, or m concert witn 
Struve, lead to a move accurate value of the said minute, it is , 
JJ ntcessary correction shall be effected, not by Vohr 
“5\y altering the legal temperature to a higher or lower point than 62 *6 of Uanr- 
All measures of surface, solidity and capacity to be derived from 
2ndly. iVeie Land Measure proposed. 
100 square links.. .. 1 eqaare fathom. 
1000 square fathoms .. 1 imperial acre. 
1000 imperial acres ... 1 square mile. 
3rdly. Kew Square Measure proposed. 
100 square digits ............... I square foot. 
or workmanship now priced by the square yard or by the rod of 272i 
dal feet (omitting the fraction), to be priced either by the supe 
10 superficial feet. 
4thly. New Measures of Solidity and of Capacity proposed. 
1000 cubit digits .. I cubic foot. 
10 cubic feet . 1 quarter of com. 
For retail purposes 
2 gills, or 10 cubic digits....... 
2 chopins . . .. 
2 pints. 
quarts, or 100 cubic digits 
10 cans .... 
exclusively. 
. 1 chopin. 
1. 1 pint. 
. 1 quart. 
.. 1 can. 
. 1 cubic foot. 
