Definition:Apothecaries' Weights and Measures/Mass/Drachm
Definition
The drachm is an apothecaries' unit of mass.
Conversion Factors
| \(\ds \) | \(\) | \(\ds 1\) | drachm | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 3\) | scruples | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 60\) | grains | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 3 \cdotp 89\) | grams |
Also known as
A drachm is also known as a dram, especially in US English.
Linguistic Note on Apothecary
An apothecary is a medical professional who specialises in formulating and dispensing materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients.
The modern counterpart is pharmacist (also referred to as a (dispensing) chemist in British English).
However, in some languages and regions the word apothecary can still be found referring to a retail pharmacy or a pharmacist who owns one.
Thus the apothecaries' system of weights and measures focuses largely on small weights and volumes, where the materials being exchanged were renowned for being dispensed in tiny amounts.
The word apothecary derives from the Ancient Greek word ἀποθήκη (apothḗkē), meaning repository or storehouse.
The word migrated via the Latin apotheca, also meaning repository, storehouse or warehouse, to the Medieval Latin apothecarius, meaning storekeeper, and eventually to the Old French apotecaire.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothecaries' system: 1.
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothecaries' system: 1.