Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-12-09
FAvoRITe NUMBen

rhe Probably Origin of the Ordinary 81
fem OF Numeration Now in Use.
The reason why is favoritc-per-
haps the most favoritc- number is obvi-
ons enough, namely, that we have ten
fingers. When We begin to count we
almost OF necessity do SO with our fin
gers; II we have a large number OF
things to count, say flock of sheep. we
instinctively divide them into tens. or
perhaps into scores; If the number OF
things be very large the collection OF
tens are naturally grouped again by
tens, and so we have hundreds. A
further grouping of hundreds leads to
thousands, and so forth. Thus we get
the ordinary system of Enumeration, and
there can be no manner of doubt that
mans ten fingers are the root oft. We
are told in trcatses on arithmetic that
IL would have been much more
convenient if we had agreed to
count by twelves instead of by
tens; and possibly this may be true.
But, If il be, we have so much the
more evidence, if evidence be needed,
that the basis of the system of counting
wa, not determined by theoretical CON
sidcrations, but by the simple ele-
inentary fact of the number of human
digits being 10 and not II. Neyertbe-
less ] } has its turn as favorite nuni-
Der; we often count by dozens, and the
reason probably is that IL admits OF
being quartercd aswell as halved. which
in many cases is an advantage. Take
the case of wine: A dozen bottles is a
convenient quantity to take as stand
art because customer can order hall
the standard number, or if he needs a
small quantity, the quarter of the same'
in fact, II adm IS of beng divided not
only by and 4, but also by and g,
which for many purposes give it a great
advantage over 10, which can be divided
only by and 5, the latter division beng
rarely of any use. Hence the grelt
divisibility of IL is suf1ic ent to mark il
rs a favor,te number; but in the most
notable instance of its use nae'ely, as
markiao Ale nlIrA,l,or # months in q
.ear we need some further explana-
bd. The real month. that is, the
lumber OF days between two sue
Ycessivc full moons, may be taken
las measured by 28 days. Thirteen times
q makes 1854, or, as nearly as may
one year. Consequently. it would
hayo been much more nearly true to
ksay that - months make year than IL.
The explanation is to be found, | con-
ceiye, in the extremely awkward char
4 acter of the number ID; it is what. is
\ealled by mathematicians a prime num-
r, that is to say, it admits of no d.
ision of any kind; had there been IS
onths in the year the half year and the
iarter alike would not have been reck-
he'd by months, and consel uently II.
Which, rs already explained, is one OF
&c most convenient of numbers in the
latter of divisability, was encourage
md permitted to usurp the place who b
b all strictness belonged to its next.
Poor neighbor. There is somewhat
parallel case with regard to the division
# the circle into $50 degrees. The an.
;ent Chinese mathcmaticians divided
Ae circle into 365 IA degrees, CORE.
londing to the length of The year, or
Ia days, which number, though
btcxxirel, is very near the truth. But
his division of the circle is practically
stolerable; it would throw mathe.
paticians into despair; consequently,
me number $50, which admits of being
Rdivided by 4, by 60, by 90, and by many
other numbers, usurped the place which
the Chinese righteously assigned to the
awkward number which nature suggest
cd.-7he Bishop Of tdrtisic, IN Contem'
2orary Review.