The extra pharmacopoeia of Martindale and Westcott / Revised by W. Harrison Martindale and W. Wynn Westcott.

  • Martindale, William, 1840-1902.
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The extra pharmacopoeia of Martindale and Westcott / Revised by W. Harrison Martindale and W. Wynn Westcott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    16/844 (page 12)
    of oach drug and preparation in terms of tlie metric system follow those of the Imperial system. For all practical purposes, a fluid drachm may be considered as 3^ cubic centi- metres ; 60 grains as 4 grammes; the avoirdupois ounce (about 283 grammes) may] be taken as 30 grammes; the fluid ounce as 30 cubic centi- metres ; and the pound avoirdupois as half a kilogramme (approximately it is nine-twentieths). In further trying to think in the metric system, prescribers may consider the English grain as 65 milligrammes (0'065 gramme), 1^ grains as 10 centigrammes, and 17 minims as approximately 1 cubic centimetre. (See table, p. XV.) The following, approximations will also be useful:— 85 minims = 6 Cc.*= 1 teaspoon. 255n.inims=15Cc.-={rX%rn. i 12 teaspoons 1020 minim8=60 Oc. = •> ■* tablespoons ( 1 wineglass. 4 Ifi tablespoons (about), 250 Cc. = 50 teaspoons = 4 wineglasses, ( 1 tumbler. The word gramme is contracted to Gm., and the words cubic centimetre to Cc. The contrac- tion Gm. in heavy type and with a capital initial letter distinguishes it from gr., the usual contraction for grain. The latter is only used in the index. A further exception is made in the case of hypodermic injections. To avoid, also, too great confusion of the two systems the contents of the unofiBcial ophthalmic lamels are not given in metric terms. It would be of general advantage if the English term minim (commonly but erroneously under- stood to be a drop of liquid) were abandoned as it has been in all other scientific work. A drop, as the late W. Martindale suggested • These quantities are respectively tbose recognised by the French Codes for a teaspoonful and a tablespoonful.