The signes of the waightes, which the Pothecaries vse now a daies. (The signs of the weights, which the Apothecaries use now a days)
Originally Published August 04, 2020
The primary unit of weight in the Apothecary system is the Grain (usually barley or wheat)
The primary unit of volume in the Apothecary system is the Minim
Formula To convert grains to grams Multiply the grain value by 0.06479891
TO THE READER.
HEre hast thou (gentle reader) a booke for thy profit, such as in English I know not the like, for hearein maist thou readily finde medicines for sundry diseases, and how thy selfe maist make the same, or cause them to be made: also thou maist here learne to know the vertue and operation, aswell of diuers hearbes with their seedes and fruites, as also of gummes, spi∣ces, and other Apothecaries stuffe, and how thou maist apply them for thy helpe, either outwardly or inwardely.
The signes of the waightes, which the Pothecaries vse now a daies. (The signs of the weights, which the Apothecaries use now a days)
A graine. | is thus written. | Gra. |
A scruple. | is thus written. | ℈. |
A dramme. | is thus written. | ʒ. |
An ounce. | is thus written. | ℥. |
A pounde. | .is thus written. | lib. |
A quarter. | is thus written. | qr. |
Halfe a quarter | is thus written. | s. |
A handfull. | is thus written. | m. |
Aureus. | is thus written. | aur. |
Aureus doeth containe a dramme and a halfe.
Ana, signifieth altogither, and thus is written, An̄.
A pound | doth conteine | twelue. ℥. (Ounces) |
A quarter of a pound | doth conteine | thrée ℥. (Ounces) |
Halfe a quarter. | doth conteine | ℥. s. (Ounces) |
An ounce | doth conteine | eight ʒ. (Drams) |
A dramme | doth conteine | thrée ℈. |
A scruple. | doth conteine | two ob. (1 obolus is approximately 10 grains or 0.65 grams) |
A halfe peny | doth conteine | thrée siliques. (1 Siliques =4 grains 3 Siliques = 12 grains or .78 grams) |
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Apothecaries' weight is a "traditional system of weight in the British Isles used for the measuring and dispensing of pharmaceutical items and based on the grain, scruple (20 grains), dram (3 scruples), ounce (8 drams), and pound (12 ounces)."
Siliqua is Latin for the seed of the Carob Tree (also referred to as St. John's bread or Locust Tree).
In the Roman Weight System 1 scruple (1.2 grams or 20 grains) = 2 Obulus (1 Obolus = 0.65 grams or 10 grains) = 6 Siliques (Siliqua is ~ 4 grains)
A graine.Gra. 0.065 grams or 64.7 mg
A scruple.℈. 1.2 grams or 20 grains
A dramme.ʒ. 1.772 grams
An ounce.℥. 31.103 grams or 480 grains
A pounde.lib. 373.242 grams
A quarter.qr. 93.3 grams or 1440 grains
Halfe a quarter.s. 46.65 grams or 720 grains
A handfull./Manipulus m. A rough measure approximately 4 grams
Aureus.aur. 1/40th of a Roman pound ~ 8 Grams
One graine of Siliqua is as much as sixe graines of Lentieles, the which graine doubled sixe times, commeth to xxxvi. and then they make a scruple, thrée ℈. makes a ʒ. viii. drammes makes a ℥. xvi. ℥. makes a lib. xx. wheate cornes makes a scruple also.
Sources:
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Apothecaries' System. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apothecaries%27_system> [Accessed 4 August 2020].
Cafe, K., 2020. Apothecary, Avoirdupois & Unusual Conversions - RF Cafe. [online] Rfcafe.com. Available at: <https://www.rfcafe.com/references/general/apothecary-avoirdupois.htm> [Accessed 4 August 2020].
culinarylore.com. 2020. What Does The Word Carat Have To Do With Carob Seeds?. [online] Available at: <https://culinarylore.com/food-history:carat-and-carob-seeds/#:~:text=A%20carat%20is%20defined%20as,same%20as%20100%20carob%20seeds.> [Accessed 4 August 2020].
En.wiktionary.org. 2020. Siliqua - Wiktionary. [online] Available at: <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/siliqua#:~:text=A%20weight%20of%20four%20grains%3B%20a%20carat.> [Accessed 4 August 2020].
Name.umdl.umich.edu. 2020. Prepositas His Practise A Vvorke Very Necessary To Be Vsed For The Better Preseruation Of The Health Of Man. Wherein Are Not Onely Most Excellent And Approued Medicines, Receiptes, And Ointmentes Of Great Vertue, But Also Most Pretious Waters, Against Many Infirmities Of The Body. The Way How To Make Euery The Said Seuerall Medicines, Receiptes, And Ointmentes. With A Table For The Ready Finding Out Of Euery The Diseases, And The Remedies For The Same. Translated Out Of Latin Into English By L.M.. [online] Available at: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A09920.0001.001> [Accessed 4 August 2020].
Zupko, Ronald Edward. “Medieval Apothecary Weights and Measures: The Principal Units of England and France.” Pharmacy in History, vol. 32, no. 2, 1990, pp. 57–62. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41111300. Accessed 4 Aug. 2020.
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