This section is from the book "A Manual Of Home-Making", by Martha Van Rensselaer. Also available from Amazon: A Manual of Home-Making.
Apothecaries' Fluid Measure:
60 minims = 1 fluid dram
8 fluid drams = 1 fluid ounce 16 fluid ounces = 1 liquid pint 8 liquid pints = 1 gallon
(British measures differ from above) Apothecaries' Weight:
20 grains = 1 scruple
3 scruples = 1 dram
8 drams = 1 ounce
12 ounces = 1 pound
Avoirdupois Weight:
27 1/3 1/2 grains 16 drams 16 ounces 25 pounds
28 pounds
4 quarters
= 1 dram
= 1 ounce
= 1 pound
= 1 short quarter
= 1 long quarter
= 1 hundredweight short hundredweight = 100 pounds lone hundredweight =112 pounds
20 hundredweight = 1 ton short ton = 2000 pounds long ton = 2240 pounds
Circular Measure:
60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes = 1 degree
90 degrees = 1 quadrant
4 quadrants = 1 circle or circumference
Cubic Measure:
1728 cubic inches = 1 cubic foot
27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard
144 cubic inches = 1 board foot
128 cubic feet = 1 cord
2 pints = | 1 quart | |
8 quarts = | 1 peck | |
4 pecks = | 1 bushel | |
1 barrel (for fruit, vegetables, and other dry commodities) | = 7056 cubic inches | |
105 dry quarts | ||
See pages 157 and 158 | ||
Linear Measure: | 12 inches = 1 foot 3 feet = 1 yard 5 1/2 yards = 1 rod or pole 40 rods = 1 furlong | |
8 furlongs = 1 statute mile (1760 yards, or | 5280 feet) | |
3 miles .= 1 league | ||
Linear Measures (special): | ||
1000 mills = 1 inch | ||
72 points = 1 inch | ||
4 inches = 1 hand | ||
7.92 inches = 1 surveyor's link | ||
9 inches = 1 span | ||
6 feet = 1 fathom | ||
40 yards = 1 bolt (cloth) | ||
10 chains = 1 furlong | ||
6080.20 feet = 1 nautical mile = 1.1516 statute miles | ||
Liquid Measure: | 4 gills = 1 pint 2 pints = 1 quart 4 quarts = 1 gallon 31 1/2 gallons = 1 barrel 2 barrels = 1 hogshead | |
Paper Measure:
For small papers the old measure is still in use:
24 sheets = 1 quire
20 quires = 1 ream (480 sheets)
For papers put up in cases, bundles, or frames the following measure is now used:
25 sheets = 1 quire
20 quires = 1 standard ream (500 sheets) Square Measure:
144 square inches = 1 square foot 9 square feet = 1 square yard 30 1/4 square yards = 1 square rod or perch 160 square rods = 1 acre 640 acres = 1 square mile
36 square miles = 1 township (6 miles square) Surveyor's Measure:
7.92 inches = 1 link (Gunter's or surveyor's) 100 links = 1 chain ( - 66 feet) 80 chains = 1 mile Surveyor's Area Measure:
625 square links = 1 (square) pole or square rod
16 (square) pole3 =1 square chain (surveyor's)
10 square chains or 160 square rods = 1 acre 640 acres = 1 square mile
36 square miles = 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 Troy Weight:
24 grains = 1 pennyweight
20 pennyweights = 1 ounce 12 ounces = 1 pound (Troy)
Carat (for precious stones) = 200 milligrams. The carat was formerly an ambiguous term having many values in various countries.
Karat (fineness of gold) = 1/24 (by weight) gold. For example, 24 karats fine = pure gold; 18 karats fine = 18/24 pure gold.
 
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