Smyrna times., 1866-06-20
ISCELLAN NEOUS.
Adoption of the Metric System.

In the year 1860 we threw out the sugges-
tiOn that some member of Congress might rem
der great service by introducing bill for the
adoption in this country of the French system
of weights and measures, and after six years of
urging, we have now the satisfaction of seeing
the step taken, Hon. Mr.. Kasson, of Iowa,
having secured the honor of its authorship.
Nearly all learned societies in this country and
Europe have advocated the adoption of the
metrical system; it has worked its way into
nearly all scientific periodicals and books the
movement is, in fact, urged forward by the
combined intelligence of the civilized world.
Great Britain has recently passed law similar
to ours, and it is understood that in both coun-
tries these permissive laws are preliminary to
enactments requiring the use of the system. 1t
has already come into use in the principal coun-
tries of Europe, and will doubtless soon be the
only system of weights and measures in COM
mercial and Christian countries.
The advantages of the system over the pres
ent complicated and incongruous tables of
weights and measures are even greater than
the old English system of pounds, shillings, and
pence. When once adopted we shall all won
der that we went without it so long,
The difficulties in the way of its adoption are
two-the necessity of learning it by the people,
and the sacrifice of value in the measures and
scales now on hand. Both of these difficulties
are far less than would at first appear.
The system can be fully mastered and learned
oy any one In thirty minutes. First, it is ne
cessary TO learn the meaning of the four units
Meter, the unit of length
Liter the unit of capacity.
Gram, the unit of weight.
Are, the unit of area.
| Then 1t Is necessary to learn the meaning of
four Greek numerals and three Latin. The
Greek are
| Deka -. 10 Kilo 1000
~, Hecto :. 100 Myria. 10000
The latin prefxes are
| Decl l-lOth.
Cent? :. 1-l00th.
Mill. l-l000th.
The system is decimal There is measure
ten times the length of the meter, and this is
called the dekameter there is another 100
times the length, and this is called the hectom-
eter. The same way with the weights; there
is weight ten times as heavy as the gram, and
this is called dekagram there is another 100
times as heavy, and this is called hectogram.
The same prehxes are applied to all the units
the Greek for the multipEes, and the Latin
for the fractions. When the meaning of eleven
words are learned, the system is completely
mastered.
The sacrifice of the value in the measures
and scales at present in use will be far less than
would at first be supposed All platform bal
ances will be perfectly adapted to the new sys-
tenn with the exception of the beam and the
pea. Manufacturers of scales-Fairbanks and
others-would doubtless make new beams and
peas, and offer them at fair rates to the pres
ent owners of scales, who could readily apply
them. Ordinary balances would merely require
a new set of weights. A peck measure cOuld
have little strip taken Oft the top, reducing
Il - 4
come the measure of dekaliter. Box-wooc
rules, steel-yards, and some other measures
would become worthless, but the sacrifice o
property in this way would be so gently distri
buted over the community, that it would b
scarcely felt The table printed in our las
number may be found valuable for future rel
erence.-jScientifc american.