208  REVIEW  OF  PHARMACOPOEIA  HELVETICA. 
Table  II.  is  a  comparison  of  the  degrees  of  Gay-Lussac's  alco- 
holometer with  those  of  Baume's  and  Beck's  hydrometers  for 
liquids  lighter  than  water,  also  of  Richter's  and  Tralles'  scale. 
The  first  column  contains  the  degrees  from  0  to  100  ;  the  second, 
third  and  fourth  columns  have  reference  to  Gay-Lussac's  alcohol- 
ometer, giving  the  specific  gravity  and  the  weight  of  alcohol  and 
water  corresponding  with  the  respective  degrees*,  which,  as  is 
well  known,  express  the  percentage  by  measure ;  the  fifth  and 
sixth  columns  give  the  specific  gravity  for  the  corresponding 
figures  on  Baume's  and  on  Beck's  scales,  both  expressed  in  three 
decimals,  and  the  former  nearly  identical  with  Pemberton's  ob- 
servations ;  the  two  last  columns  compare  the  degrees  of  Rich- 
ter's with  those  of  Tralles'  alcoholometer. 
A  comparison  of  the  French  decimal  weight  with  the  Swiss 
apothecaries'  weight,  and  vice  versa,  is  contained  in  the  third  ta- 
ble, which  is  very  complete,  and  useful  for  converting  any  given 
weight,  into  its  correct  value  of  the  other  system,  by  simple  addi- 
tion. We  learn  there  that  a  Swiss  pound  civil  weight  is  equal 
to  500  grammes,  the  medicinal  pound  =  ^xij  =  375  grammes, 
gj  ==  31*25  grm.,  1  gramme  =  15*36  grains. 
The  hydrometers  of  Baume'  and  Beck  for  liquids  heavier  than 
water  are  compared  on  the  fourth  table ;  the  scale  of  the  former 
in  three  decimals  corresponds  more  closely  with  that  published 
in  Duncan's  Edinburgh  Dispensatory,  1830. 
The  fifth  table,  in  two  parts,  contains  a  comparison  of  the 
Swiss  and  French  measures  of  length. 
1  line  .  .  .       =    *003  metres. 
10  lines  =  1  inch      .  .       =    -030  " 
10  inches  =  1  foot    .  .       =    -300  " 
10  feet  ==  3*000  " 
The  sixth  table  enumerates  the  poisonous  and  strong-acting 
(heroic)  medicines,  in  the  keeping  and  dispensing  of  which  the 
greatest  caution  is  to  be  observed.  It  gives  in  grains  and 
grammes  the  largest  single  doses,  and  also  the  maximum  quanti- 
ties administered  (to  adults)  in  twenty-four  hours,  which,  when 
exceeded,  the  physician  is  required  to  underline  and  accompany 
with  this  mark  (!),  without  which  the  pharmacist  is  not  justified 
