Definition:Apothecaries' Weights and Measures/Mass/Pound
Definition
The apothecaries' pound is an apothecaries' unit of mass.
Conversion Factors
| \(\ds \) | \(\) | \(\ds 1\) | apothecaries' pound | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 12\) | apothecaries' ounces | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 5 \, 760\) | grains | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 373 \cdotp 24\) | grams | |||||||||||
| \(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds 1\) | troy pound |
Also see
Historical Note
The apothecaries' pound derived from the libra (Roman pound).
It is seen that an apothecaries' pound and a troy pound have the same mass.
Some sources do not recognise the existence of the apothecaries' ounce separately from the troy ounce, and when tabulating the various conversion factors refer merely to troy ounces and troy pounds.
Linguistic Note on Apothecary
An apothecary is a medical professional who specialises in formulating and dispensing materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients.
The modern counterpart is pharmacist (also referred to as a (dispensing) chemist in British English).
However, in some languages and regions the word apothecary can still be found referring to a retail pharmacy or a pharmacist who owns one.
Thus the apothecaries' system of weights and measures focuses largely on small weights and volumes, where the materials being exchanged were renowned for being dispensed in tiny amounts.
The word apothecary derives from the Ancient Greek word ἀποθήκη (apothḗkē), meaning repository or storehouse.
The word migrated via the Latin apotheca, also meaning repository, storehouse or warehouse, to the Medieval Latin apothecarius, meaning storekeeper, and eventually to the Old French apotecaire.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothecaries' system: 1.
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothecaries' system: 1.