Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-08-13
rmE pscinAL SYSTEM.

At the Normal Institute recently held
In this city Doctor Morgan spoke very
earnestly In favor Of the metric, more
properly the decimal system OF weights
and measures. His language was not
ITO earnest. The system is Q wonderful
Improvement over the old style. Not g
valid argument has ever been brought
against 10. Almost every one who has
esndidly examined the system acknoWl-
edges It's superiority In every respect.
For many years 10 has been leealized by
the Government. and the marine medi.
cal service has made its use obligatory
in tie transactions of its department.
Cur prominent men of science have
adopted 10, and yes, strangely enough,
after all this array of argument in its
favor, the people stick 90 she old plan
with stupid indifference. And physi-
olanB, the very profession it Dement'S,
and the profession that should be IN the
lead Of all reforms, especially Of sol
entiiic nature, plod along IN the old rut
tfod by their fathers and Rrandfafhers
for centuries Take our own city a. q
sample. Not Q respectable physician In
toe uity bat wat has read of and saany
81 NlANA0 UANAuAn04 &4U 0H0AAunA HJatCAn
Of writiag prescriptions; asystem where
tue chances for error are almost no.
thing, ~ the face OF every such pre-
seription shows, In plain figures and
almost without any mental calsulation,
the precise Number Of drops or grains
OF eiseh medicine 70 each dose. And yet
there are only two physicians who write
prescriptions according 70 the new and
improved plan.
How 10 it with our mechanical So Far
a. Ne know, there is not ons Ia the city
who uses the meter rule. Probably In
all oar stores such rule cannot be
found. And yet the testimony of those
In other places who have used tue new
measures IL decidedly In their favor.
Our Druggists have the new weights,
hat our groeers are ignorant OF the
wheae system, and make no enert 20
inform themselves Of lite advantages.
Our architects and surveyors are In like
apathetie condition. The prospecs for
the adoption Of the decimal system 10
not encouraging; yet. having faith In
the ultimate triumph Of truth and
right. We still hope for better methods
I'm the fature.
II may be worth vhils 10 mention, for
ahe encouragement Of any Who may be
indaced % try the new eystem, thai the
book rules and terms are much stmpii-
fed in practice. To illustrate: tbs meter
IL composed Of ten dscimetefs, equal 20
one hundred eentimeters. The term
dsolmetsr can be Dispensed with. We
nead net SAY o pound Of butter costs
thrse dimes aud seven cents. hus thirty
ssvln Giants. We need not say board
ID fear deoimeters and one ceatimetef
vide. bat foFty-one oentimstsrs. The
wnssie system ID like our decimal system
OF money, and for that reason should
BE- sailed decimal and NOS me. re, a.
metric means Simply measure, while
decimal clearly expFessas thu method Of
TIE measure.
In she original Fre1ch system there
we're ave tables, namely; that Of length.
weight, capacity, cubic measure and
surface measure. Tne first three are all
thst are required. BY adopting them
azsl expunginQ ell unnecessary terms.
% designated. great impedimsnf would
be tezapyed from the path Of progress
in the adoption Of the decimal system.
II In an easy matter % reckon time hy
the desimal system. Clocks can b
Constructed dividing cur day into Tn
parts instead Of twenty-fonr. - now;
ihese parts again sabdtvided 81 hands
or pointers, % that the tenth OF Ten
thnussndth part Of the Gay may Do
readily shcwn. In short, nothing oos
sha sfnpidiay, II not oostinacy. OF the
public stands III the way OF this I'm
poisAnh Improvement IN weights ana
measures.