Metric System. Metric System of Weights and Measures. 79 THE METRIC SYSTEM has been adopted by Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru, etc., and except Russia and Great Britain, where it is permissive, by all European nations. Various names of the preceding systems are, however, frequently used: In Germany, kilogram-1 pound; in Switzerland, 3-10 of a metre 1 foot, ete. If the first letters of the prefixes deka, hecto. kilo, myria, from the Greek, and deci, centi, mili, from the Latin, are used in preference to our plain English, 10, 100, etc., it is best to employ capital letters for the multiples and small letters for the subdivisions, to avoid ambiguities in abbreviations: 1 dekametre or 10 metres 1 dm.; 1 decimetre or 1-10 of a metre - 1 dm. The METRE, unit of length, is nearly the ten-millionth part of a quadrant of a meridian, of the distance between Equator and Pole. The International Standard Metre is, practically, nothing else but a length defined by the distance between two lines on a platinum-iridium bar at 00 Centigrade, deposited at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, Paris, France. The LITRE, unit of capacity, is derived from the weight of one kilogram pure water at greatest density, a cube whose edge is one-tenth of a metre and, therefore, the one-thousandth part of a metric ton. The GRAM, unit of weight, is a cube of pure water at greatest density, whose edge is one-hundredth of a metre, and, therefore, the one-thousandth part of a kilogram, and the one-millionth part of a metric ton. The Metric System was legalized in the United States on July 28, 1866, when Congress enacted as follows: The tables in the schedule hereto annexed shall be recognized in the construction of contracts, and in all legal proceedings, as establishing, in terms of the weights and measures now in use in the United States, the equivalents of the weights and measures expressed therein in terms of the metric system, and the tables may lawfully be used for computing, determining, and expressing in customary weights and measures the weights and measures of the metric system. The following are the tables annexed to the above: EQUIVALENTS IN DE- TABLES FOR THE CONVERSION OF METRIC WEIGHTS AND MEASURES INTO CUSTOMARY UNITED STATES EQUIVALENTS AND THE REVERSE. From the legal equivalents are deduced the following tables for converting United States weights and measures: METRIC TO CUSTOMARY. CUSTOMARY TO METRIC. Minimum Weights of Produce. METRIC SYSTEM-Continued. WEIGHT (AVOIRDUPOIS). 11-4 4-14-11-0 1-H 1-0.15431 35,274 1- 2.20462 1-0,9842 2-0,3086 2 70,548 2 4.40924 21.9684 3_0.4630 3105, 822 3 6,61386 32,9526 40.6173 4141,096 81 16.4799 1 28,3495 10.45359 11.0161 4 8.81849 4.3.9366 41.81437 52,26796 76.8894 44.0642 5-5.0803 6,6, 0963 7.1124 S_8.1284 99,1445 THE METRIC SYSTEM SIMPLIFIED. The following tables of the metric system of weights and measures have been simplified as much as possible for THE WORLD ALMANAC by omitting such denominations as are not in practical, everyday use in the countries where the system is used exclusively. TABLES OF THE SYSTEM. Length. The denominations in practical use are millimetres (mm.), centimetres (cm.), metres (m.), and kilometres (km. ). 10 mm. 1 cm.; 100 cm. 1 m.; 1,000 m. 1 km. NOTE, -A decimetre is 10 cm. Weight. The denominations in use are grams (g.), kilos* (kg.), and tons (metric tons). 1,000 g. 1 kg.; 1,000 kg. 1 metric ton, Capacity. The denominations in use are cubic centimetres (c. c.) and litres (1.). 1,000 c. c.11. NOTE-A hectolitre is 1001. (seldom used). Relation of capacity and weight to length: A cubic decimetre is a litre, and a litre of water weighs a kilo. APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENTS. A metre is about a yard; a kilo is about 2 pounds; a litre is about a quart; a centimetre is about inch; a metric ton is about same as a ton; a kilometre is about 2 mile; a cubic centimetre is about a thimbleful; a nickel weighs about 5 grams, Minimum Weights of Produce. THE following are minimum weights of certain articles of produce according to the laws of the United States: Coarse salt Fine salt in Penn SALT.-Weight per bushel as adopted by different States ranges from 50 to 80 pounds. in Pennsylvania is reckoned at 80 pounds, and in Illinois at 50 pounds per bushel. sylvania is reckoned at 62 pounds, in Kentucky and Illinois at b5 pounds per bushel. 82 Domestic Weights and Measures. Measures and Weights of Great Britain. THE measures of length and the weights are nearly, practically, the same as those in use in the United States. The English ton is 2,240 lbs. avoirdupois, the same as the long ton, or shipping ton of the United States. The English hundredweight is 112 lbs. avoirdupois, the same as the long hundredweight of the United States. The English stone is usually equal to one-eighth hundredweigh of 112 lbs., or 14 lbs, avoirdupois. The metre has been legalized at 39. 37079 inches, but the length of 39. 370432 inches, as adopted by France, Germany, Belgium, and Russia, is frequently used, The Imperial gallon, the basis of the system of capacity, involves an error of about 1 part in 1,836: 10lbs, of water 277. 123 cubic inches. (A late authority gives the weight of the Imperial gallon as 10.017 pounds aud of the United States gallon as 8.345 pounds.) The English statute mile is 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet, The following are measures of capacity: 1 quart. 2.5 69.32 1.13586 1.20032 quarts. 1 pottle 2 pottles 1 gallon 2 gallons 1 peck.... 20 4 pecks - 1 bushel. 80 4 bushels 1 coomb.. Dry m'sure 554.55 9.08692 1.03152 dry pecks. 1.03152 bushels. 145.39062 4.12606 290.7813 18.2521 320 A cubic foot of pure gold weighs 1,210 pounds; pure silver, 655 pounds; cast iron, 450 pounds; copper, 530 pounds; lead, 710 pounds; pure platinum, 1,220 pounds; tin, 456 pounds; aluminum. 163 pounds. Domestic Weights and Measures. Apothecaries' Weight: 20 grains-1 scruple; 3 scruples 1 dram; 8 drams 1 ounce; 12 ounces 1 pound. Avoirdupois Weight (short ton): 27 11-32 grains - 1 dram; 16 drams-1 ounce; 16 ounces 1 pound; 25 pounds 1 quarter; 4 quarters-1 cwt.; 20 cwt-1 ton. Avoirdupois Weight (long ton): 2711-32 grains 1 dram; 16 drams-1 ounce; 16 ounces-1 pound; 112 pounds i cwt.; 20 cwt. - 1 ton. Troy Weight: 24 grains 1 pennyweight; 20 pennyweights-1 ounce; 12 ounces-1 pound. Circular Mensure: 60 seconds - 1 minute; 60 minutes 1 degree; 30 degrees 1 sign; 12 signs 1 circle or circumference. Cubic Mensure: 1,728 cubic inches - 1 cubic foot; 27 cubic feet - 1 cubic yard. Dry Measure: 2 pints 1 quart; 8 quarts-1 peck; 4 pecks - 1 bushel. 1 Liquid Measure: 4 gills 1 pint; 2 pints-1 quart; 4 quarts-1 gallon; 81 gallons - 1 barrel; 2 barrels 1 hogshead. Long Measure: 12 inches-1 foot; 3 feet-1 yard; 5 yards-1 rod or pole; 40 rods - 1 furlong: 8 furlongs 1 statute mile (1,760 yards or 5,280 feet); 3 miles 1 league. Mariners leasure: 6 feet-1 fathom; 120 fathoms 1 cable length; 74 cable lengths - 1 mile; 5,280 feet - 1 statute mile; 6,085 feet = 1 nautical mile. Paper Measure: 24 sheets 1 quire; 20 quires 1 ream (480 sheets); 2 reams - 1 bundle; 5 bundles 1 bale. Square Measure: 144 square inches 1 square foot; 9 square feet- 1 square yard; 304 square yards I square rod or perch; 40 square rods-1 rood; 4 roods- 1 acre: 640 acres 1 square mile; 36 square miles (6 miles square) 1 township. Time Measure: 60 seconds 1 minute; 60 minutes-1 hour; 24 hours-1 day; 7 days-1 week; 365 days 1 year; 366 days➡ 1 leap year. MEDICAL SIGNS AND ABBREVIATIONS. R (Lat. Recipe), take; aa, of each; b, pound; 3, ounce; 3, drachm;, scruple; m, minim, or drop; O oro, pint; f3, fluid ounce; f3, fluid drachm; as, 3 ss, half an ounce; 31, one ounce: 3 iss, one ounce and a half; 3 ij, two ounces; gr., grain; Q. S., as much as sufficient; Ft. Mist., let a mixture be made; Ft. Haust,, let a draught be made; Ad., add to; Ad lib.. at pleasure; Aq., water; M., mix; Mac., macerate; Pulv., powder; Pil., pill; Solv., dissolve; St., let it stand; Sum., to be taken; D., dose; Dil., dilute; Filt., filter: Lot., a wash; Garg., a gargle; Hor. Decub., at bed time; Inject., injection; Gtt., drops; ss, one-half; Ess., essence. square varas (square of 672 square varas (square of 475 varas) 1-16 section 5,645.376 square varas (square of 75,137 varas) = 4,840 square yards acre. To find the number of acres in any number of square varas, multiply the latter by 177 (or to be more exact, by 177%), and cut off six decimals. Foreign Moneys. Knots and Miles. THE Statute Mile is 5,280 feet. The British Admiralty Knot or Nautical Mile is 6,080 feet. 83 The Statute Knot is 6.082, 66 feet, and is generally considered the standard. The number of feet in a statute knot is arrived at thus: The circumference of the earth is divided into 360 degrees, each degree containing 60 knots or (360x60), 21,600 knots to the circumference. 21.600 divided into 131,385,456-the number of feet in the earth's circumference-gives 6,082.66 feet-the length of a standard mile. WEIGHTS. 10 oz. 18 pwt. 13 5-7 gr., Troy. 56 lbs. 11 oz. 0 pwt. 171-7 gr., Troy. The Grecian furlong 504 ft. 4 1-5 inches. The quadrans-11-10 mills. The sestertius 3.58 + cents. The sestertium (1.000 sestertii) $35. 80+. The denarius 14.35 + cents. The Attic obolus 2.39 + cents, The drachma 14. 35+ cents.* The mina (100 drachmæ) $14.35+. The talent (60 minæ) $861.00+. The Greek stater aureus (same as the Roman †) -$3.58,79. The stater daricus- $7.16,66. The modern drachma equals 19.3 cents. † Did not remain, at all periods, at this value, but this is the value indicated by Tacitus. English Money: 4 farthings Foreign Moneys. 1 penny (d); 12 pence -1 shilling (s); 20 shillings ➡ 1 pound (£). 21 shillings one guinea; 5 shillings one crown. French Money: 100 centimes 1 franc, Value of Foreign Coins in U. S. Money."' |