208  ON  THE  NEW  GERMAN  SYSTEM  OF  WEIGHTS. 
cinal  weight  to  the  weight  which  is  hereafter  to  he  the  lawful 
standard  in  Prussia,  and  vice  versa.  The  following  extracts 
will  convey  an  idea  of  the  new  system,  and  also  show  its  rela- 
tion to  the  old,  now  discarded,  one. 
1  grain 
—  Loth.  —  Quint. 
—  Cent.  3-65399  Korn. 
5  " 
  <<     ,   << 
1  " 
8-26996  " 
10  " 
  i  c    a 
3  " 
6-53992  *■ 
1  scruple 
  tt    (t 
7  " 
3-07985  " 
1  drachm 
_    "       2  " 
1  " 
9-23954  " 
1  ounce 
1    "      7  " 
5  " 
3-91630  " 
1  medicinal  lb.  = 
12  " 
21    "     —  " 
4  " 
6-99557  " 
1  civil        lb.  = 
16  " 
28    "    —  11 
6  " 
2-66076  " 
1  Korn. 
•273  grains. 
5  " 
1-367  " 
10  Korn.  = 
1  Cent. 
2-737  «? 
10  Cent.  = 
1  Quintchen 
27-374  " 
10  Quint.  = 
1  Loth. 
4       drachms,  1  scruple, 
13-740  grains. 
30  Loth.  = 
1  lb. 
17       ounces,  52-20  grains 
This  new  system  of  weights  appears  to  have  been  legalized  by 
the  various  German  States  comprising  the  "  Zollverein,"  where- 
from  it  has  received  the  name  "  Zollgewicht."  I  do  not  know 
how  its  unit  was  obtained,  but  from  its  term  Korn  (English  rye, 
grain  or  seed,)  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  the  medium  weight  of 
some  seed,  probably  rye,  has  been  selected  for  it. 
Dr.  L.  F.  Bley,  the  editor  of  the  «  Archiv,"  makes  the  fol- 
lowing remarks :  « The  introduction  of  these  new  weights  for 
the  use  in  medicine  will  be  a  source  of  annoyance  until  the 
physicians  have  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  them.  All 
difficulties  might  have  been  obviated  if  the  French  grammes- 
weight  had  been  chosen,  which  has  long  been  adopted  in  science." 
In  the  above  tables  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  old  Prus- 
sian grain  is  equal  to  *96  grs.  Troy,  and  the  old  Prussian  medi- 
cinal pound  =  5415-1  grs.  Troy,  and  by  calculation  the  weight 
of  the  new  Prussian,  or  rather  "Zoll  pound,"  is  found  to  be 
7720-47  grs.  Troy. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  by  this  act  still  more  confusion  is 
gained,  and  from  the  arbitrary  unit  and  the  arbitrary  division 
we  may  infer  that  it  will  have  to  give  way  to  a  more  rational 
system.  The  labors  of  our  American  Committees  on  weights 
and  measures,  we  will  hope,  will  produce  something  nearer  to 
perfection. 
Yours,  very  respectfully, 
John  M.  Maisch. 
Philadelphia,  Oct.  20th,  1858. 
