36 
REFORM  IN  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES. 
one  be  adopted  similar  to  Mr.  Felton's,  that  the  standard 
grain,  the  present  unit,  should  be  the  unit  in  the  new  system — 
First — Because  it  is  alike  in  all  the  systems  we  employ,  while 
the  Avoirdupois  pound  is  the  pound  of  no  other  scale  used  in 
this  country. 
Second — I  believe  the  grain  to  be  the  most  important  of  the 
divisions  of  weight  which  we  employ,  on  account  of  its  use  in 
estimating  the  power  and  effect  of  remedies — it  being  a  guide 
in  prescribing  and  dispensing  ; — and  upon  it  and  other  attenu- 
ated weights  are  constructed  all  our  medical  formulae. 
Third — I  consider  that,  by  employing  the  grain  for  the  unit, 
the  reduction  of  the  old  systems  to  the  new  one  is  much  easier, 
being  easily  made  without  the  use  of  written  figures, — in  fact, 
by  a  method  which  Mr.  Felton  has  pointed  out,  reduction  is 
almost  done  away  with — which  method  does  not  apply  to  his 
scale  with  equal  facility. 
Here  is  the  scale,  with  the  standard  grain  for  a  unit: 
10  grains 
10  scruples 
10  drams 
1  grain 
=    1  scruple 
=    1  dram 
=    1  ounce 
EQUIVALENT  IN  STANDARD  WEIGHTS. 
=    1  grain. 
=     \  scruple  (Apoth.), 
=     If  drachms  (Ap.),  1  dr.  2  sc. 
C  2  ounces  2  scru.  Apoth. 
I  2  ounces  125  grs.  Avoird. 
10  ounces 
1  pound 
1  stone 
1  hundred  weight 
1  ton 
I  lb.  8  oz.  G  dr.  2  sc.,  Apoth. 
3-7  pound  Avoird. 
1  stone  2  6-7  lbs.  Avoird. 
excels  cwt.  by  30  6-7  lbs. 
less  than  ton  by  811  3-7  lbs. 
contains  10,000  standard 
the  value  of  only  seven- 
which  I  am  led  to  believe  just 
as  practicable  for  commercial  purposes,  and  much  more  avail- 
able for  ours.  Reference  to  the  following  table  shows  the  rela- 
tion between  the  different  scales : 
10  pounds  = 
10  stones  = 
10  hundred  weight  = 
In  the  above  scale,  the  pound 
grains,  instead  of  10,000  grains  of 
tenths  of  the  present  standard 
SCALE  OF 
STANDARD  WEIGHTS. 
1  grain 
.1  scruple,  Apoth., 
1  drachm,  Apoth., 
1  ounce,  Apoth., 
1  ounce,  Avoir., 
1  pound,  Avoir., 
1  pound,  Apoth., 
1  stone 
1  swt.  (112  lbs.  Av.) 
1  ton  (2240  lbs.  Av.) 
EQUIVALENT  IN 
POUND-UNIT  SCALE. 
1.3  grains  = 
2  6  scruples  = 
7.8  scruples  = 
6  dr.  2.4  scrup.  : 
5  dr.  68.75  grains  = 
1  pound  = 
7  ounces  4.88  dr,  = 
1.4  stones  = 
1.12  hund.  weights  = 
2.240  tons       ~  = 
EQUIVALENT  IN 
GRAIN-UNIT  SCALE. 
1  grain 
2  scruples 
6  scruples  or  .6  of  one  dram. 
4  dr.  8  scrup.,  or  4.8  dr. 
4  dr.  37.5  gr. 
5  oz.  7.6  dr. 
7  ounces,  or  .7  lbs. 
9  lbs.  8  oz.,  or  .98  stone. 
7  stones  8.4  lbs.,  or  .784  cwt. 
1  ton  5  sto's  68  lbs,  or  1.568  tons 
