Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-08-15

account Of The inception and IL
origin Of the Metric system, ii wa
lntlmatcd that an article would fo
low treating ofits nature and it
nomenclature. 1t is now the DC
sign of tho writer to state brief,
and snccintly the leading feature
and to explain the names of tht
various measures and weights.
The grand aim Of the system i.
comprised III three words; uni
tormily, permanency, and unlver.
salty; one standard to be the sam,
for all persons and all purposes
and to continue the same forever
John Quincy Adams once said:
"Unlformity ofweig hts and meas.
nres, permanent, universal uni.
tormlty, adapted to tic nature ot
things, to the physical organiza-
ton, and to the moral improve
ment Of man, would be L blessing
Of such tranycendent magnitu Il.
thlt, + there existed Upon earth i
combination Of power and will al.
equate to accomplish the result by
the energy Of 4 single act, the be-
ing who should exercise it would
be among the greatest benetactors
OF the hnman race"
It is generally agreed that uni
versal system of neurology should
possess the following characterize
les:
|. It's base unit should be Il com
mon measure Of all its derivative
units.
:. lis derivatlve units should in
crease and decrease by the decimal
or some uniform scale.
3. Its denominations should be
expressed by convenient, definite,
and significant terms.
!. Its standard unit should be
invaria5le and indestructble, or
reproducibIe.
This ideal perfection exists ii
the Metric System, Of which the
two essential principles are:
|. The unit Of linear measure
applied to matter in its three forms
OF extension, length, breadth, and
thickness, should be the standard |
of all measures Of length, surface,
and solidity.
2. The cubic contents of the linz
ear measure in distilled water at
the temperature OF greatest con-
traction, should furnish at once
the standard weight and measure
of capacity.
Such is the simplicity OF the Sys-
TEN that it is easily learned, easily I
retained, and easily practised.
With the proper means Of illustra-
tions, it will require only about
twenty minutes to make an intelli-
gont class comprehend it. As soon
as the values of the four base-units
are fixed in the mind, the values
of all the derivative units, being
formed by multiplying or dividing
the base BY ten, arc at once appre
hended.
Its denominations are reduced
from higher to lower, and from
lower to higher terms, by simply re-
moving the decimal point to the
right on left, as in reducing United
States money to higher or lower
denomination. Ali its computations
require only knowledge Of the
four fundamental rules of arithme-
tic.
The proper method Of teaching
the system is to bring models of the
measures and weights before the
eyes Of the pupils, and explain their
relations, as far as possible, by ac-
tual illustration. The simplest SET
of apparatus for this purpose CON
sists of: a. a school-mctre, a
square rod one metre long, three
ccntimetres thick, each Of its four
sides having its appropriate diyis-
ions. % 4 chart giving ful!
square metre, with Its various subdi- !
visions. (3.1 4 chart representing !
the various measures and weights. !
(4) A dccimcter cube, which can !
be taken apart, showing its subdivis- i
ions. 90 A cubical box of size
to contain tile aforementioned ,
cube, to illustrate both the unit Of t
measure of capacity and the kilo-
gram Of the larger unit of weight /
Every variety Of metric apparatus /
and literature is furnished by the {
Metric Bureau, in Boston, formed !
for the purpose Of promoting and t
urging the adoption of the system, /
md of disseminating information as Q
TO its progress and the means and 9
Of teaching it.
The system in substance is this: a
/. The unit Of length, the metre, y
5 the 10000, ,000th part of a quad e
ant Of the meridian Of Paris, com Il
Duted from trigonometrical meas i
lrement Of the arc of nine degrees Ii
md more between Dunkirk and Bar u
,elona, and it is 1887 inches, a
learly. L
2. The unit of surface, the arc, is 81
.he square Of ten metres, or a hun II
iFed square metres. ii
3, The unit OF capacity, the liter, 81
IS a cube whose edge is a tenth of Ii
metre. e.
T. The unit of weight, the gram, u