The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-02-26
THE METRIC SYSTEM.

earth's meridian, or the distance from the
equator 10 the poles. The system is decimal,
and all denominations increase or decrease uni
formly by ten, instead of according to the older
and arbitrary method with it's varying scale,
still! in common use.
The unit of linear measurement Of Great Britain
and the United States is identical, and is the yard
of36 inches. The yard is determined from a pendu-
lum vibrating seconds Of time in a vacuum at the
latitude of London and at the level Of the sea.
The standard yard is q brass rod, made OF the
temperature Of CO. of the Fahrenheit thermo-
meter. Should the standard yard ever be lost, it
could be again recovered by resorting to the same
experiment from which it was originally derived.
The measure of weight and capacity is derived
from the standard in the following manner A
cubic inch Of distilled water, weighed in air at a
temperature of 81 Fahrenheit with the baron
eter at 80 inches, is equal to 252 grains nearly
$500 Of these grains are equal TO one troy pound,
and 1000 to one pound avoirdupois. For capa-
city We have the gallon, equal to 277 ,274 cubic
inches of distilled water, which weighs l0lbs
ayoirdupois. The L. S. gallon is 23l cubic in
ches, and weighs ,339 pounds avoirdupois. Thus
we see that between the British gallon and that
of the United States there Is a difference of nearly
two pounds, and so with other measures. These
discrepancies often cause considerable embarrass-
ment to trade, by the complex calculations they
involve in their reduction from one to the other,
and the great desideratum now looked for by in
telligent people Is some plan whereby uniformity,
simplicity and scientific precision may be OBJ
tanned and in the metric system, if it is once
universally adopted, all these indications will be
fulfilled. Although used in France prior to the
year 1910, it was then made compulsory, and
has since been made so in other important coun-
tries. 1t was legalized in England in the year
1864 in the United States in 1866 and in Ger
many in 1868 and is destined ere long, with
intelligence and progress, to become of universal
application.
The plea sometimes uttered against its adop-
ton in certain countries. that it would create con-
fusion, can no longer be held as valid, as, to be
singular in this respect, will hereafter be the
very cause of that against which the cry is ut
tered. With us who really have no standard of
our own, but derive our scale of measure from that
Of other countries, it will be particularly to our
interest to keep pace with them in this direction.
We would not advise that the metric system
be made compulsory, but that it be legalized, as
it has been in Great Britain and the United
States, until by familiarity with its use we have
become sufficiently convinced of its benefits as to
render such compulsion desirable. 1t is very
probable that its full adoption will be accom-
plished in the United States within the present
year as the leading scientists and ~artizans are
very generally agreed AZ to the desirability of
such a project. The American Neurological
Society has lately issued g. circular urging the full
adoption Of the system after July 4th, 1876 this
circular is signed by tho leading architects, ensi-
neers, and scientists Of che country.
Not long since, the committee on Uniformity
of Weights and Coins, in the interest of Science ~
at a meeting of the British Association, submit
ted their report to the Society, therein urging in
the strongest terms, the full and legal introduc-
ton of the metric system in Great Britain and all
her colonies. Especial stress was laid upon the
actual necessity of adopting some system of inter
national uniformity in coirage and postal weights,
and it was strongly urged by the committee (as
it had also been by the Royal Commission) that
another international Congress be speedily held
to consider the scheme. The system had been
tried with great success In India, and efforts had
been made to procure its adoption in the colonies.
Chambers of Agriculture and Commerce, (includ-
ing the Barnstable Farmers Club) had petitioued
Parliament in favor OF Il uniform system of
weights and measures.
1t will be seen by the foregoing statements,
that the French system of weights and measures
is rapidly becoming popular among the intelli-
gent of all countries. For those who may be
ignorant of the subject, we will briefly consider
its nature, and the language Of its various de-
nominations. AS before stated, the metre is the
unit or base of the whole system and is the only
arbitrary one it contains from this, as a stan
dard, all other weights and measures are by COM
parison derived, every step being taken regularly
by the scale of ten, and therefore noted decimally.
The names of the higher denominations are
formed by ~preixing the different unitS with the
Greek numerals, dec'd, hectic, kiro, and myr'ia,
denOting respectively, 10, 100, 1000, 10000; as
d~ec'ameter, h~ec'tometer, kil'ometer, myr'iameter.
The names Of the loper denomination are
formed by prefixing to the units the Latin numerals,
dec'i, cent? and mill, which are respectively lilo,
i1-100, 1000 as decimeter, centimeter, and null
Emefer. When once this brief and simple no
menclature is learned, the difficulties of the
metric system will have vanished, as then our
computations are made by multiplying or dividing
by ten. As the square is the unit of our measure
of area, SO is the arc the unit OF the same in
metric calculations, and is equal to a square de-
cimeter and contains 100 square meters. The
measure of capacity and weight is derived from
the linear unit as follows A cubic centinaeter of
distilled water at its maximum density, at the
temperature of $3.50 Fahrenheit, is the unit of
weights, and is called a grGnanIe, which is divided
decimally above and below. A cubic decimetre
is called a hire, and is the unit OF the measure of
capacity, and is divided in the same manner.
The following is Il comparison of weights and
measures One pound avoirdupois is equal to
453 % !grGmme; an ounce to % 1913 grdDlnte,
and n drachm to LII grdmme. In liquid meas
ure the French and United States are compared
90 En1ous. Tho miIIilitre ia enual To 16 %