In researching old remedies you will often run across outdated terms. Drachm is a common one as is scruple. Scruple is actually in use today but as an apothecary weight. The apothecary system requires a scale setup to be specific to its own system. You will run across many old recipes written by the medical professionals of their times which employ the apothecary system of weights. And it’s important to clearly identify which system of weights the author was using. The term grain is used in both apothecary and avoirdupois systems, but do not weigh the same amount. If you run into difficulty understanding the apothecary system then your best source of information is your local pharmacist. I have often picked the brains of these great folks when I was curious about old formulations. The term drachm is used by British authors and is/was part of their weights and measurements system.

Rather than simply list the different systems and their various measurements, wherever possible I try to show where measurements of different systems are the same quantity. This is to make it possible for everyone to be able to relate to the amounts being discussed and to make old herbals less obscure and difficult to understand. In order to do this I need to abbreviate the systems from which the different entries are taken.

These systems are:

• liq = (common) liquid measure
• afm = apothecaries fluid measure
• dry = (common) dry measure
• avdp = (common) avoirdupois weight
• ap = apothecaries weight
• m = metric

If you don't have a system of keeping herbal information, then the articles which appear at this site will be a good opportunity to begin. Either create a folder in File Manager or Windows Explorer and copy each article to it as it appears here, or else print it out and start a file folder.

Liquids

Dry Weights & Measurements

Apothecary Weight

1 grain = 64.79891 ml 20 grains = 1 scruple 3 scruples = 1 dram (ap) = 60 grains = 3.888 grams 8 drams (ap) = 1 oz (ap) = 24 scruples = 480 grains 12 oz (ap) = 1 lb (ap) = 96 drams (ap) = 288 scruples = 5,760 grains (ap)

More Metrics

1 ml = 1/5 tsp 5 ml = 1 tsp 15 ml = 1 tbsp 34 ml = 1 fl oz 100 ml = 3.4 fl oz 240 ml = 1 cup 1 liter = 34 fl oz = 4.2 cups = 2.1 pints = 1.06 quarts = 0.26 gallon 1 gram = .035 oz 100 grams = 3.5 oz 500 grams = 1.10 lbs 1 kg = 2.205 lbs = 35 oz 1 cubic centimeter = 0.061 cubic inch 1 cubic foot = 7.481 gallons = 28.316 cubic decimeters 1 cubic inch = 0.554 fl oz = 4.433 fluid drams = 16.387 cubic centimeters

Kitchen Equivalents

1 minim = 1 drop 1/5 tsp = 20 drops = 1 milliliter 1 tsp = 5 ml = 60 drops (or minims) = 1 drachm (British) = 1 dram = 4.2 grams 2 tsp = 10 ml 3 tsp = 1 tbsp = 15 ml = 14 grams 1 fl oz = 30 ml (by weight but 34 ml by capacity) = 28 grams 1/16 cup = 1 tbsp 1/8 cup = 2 tbsp 1/6 cup = 2 tbsp + 2 tsp 1/5 cup = 50 ml 1/4 cup = 4 tbsp 1/3 cup = 5 tbsp + 1 tsp 3/8 cup = 6 tbsp 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp 3/4 cup = 12 tbsp 2/3 cup = 10 tbsp + 2 tsp 1 cup = 240 ml = 8 fl oz = 1/2 pint (liq) = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp 2 cups = 1 pint = 470 ml 2 pints = 1 quart = .95 liter = 4 cups 1 liter = 34 fl oz = 4.2 cups = 2.1 pints = 1.06 quarts = 0.26 gallon 4 quarts = 1 gallon = 3.8 liters 1 pound = 454 grams 1 gram = .035 oz 100 grams = 3.5 oz 500 grams = 1.20 lbs 1 kg = 2.205 lbs or 35 oz 1000 grams = 1 kilogram 1 glassful = 8 fl oz = 16 tbsp = 60 fl drams = 240 ml 1 teacupful = 4 fl oz = 8 tbsp = 30 drams = 120 ml 1 wineglassful = 2 fl oz = 4 tbsp = 15 fl drams = 60 ml 1 tbsp = 1/2 fl oz = 4 fl drams = 15 ml 1 dessertspoonful = 2 fl drams = 8 ml

Rough Measurements

Dosages

Young's Formula
Take the age in years of the child and divide by the age in years of the child + 12 and this will equal the portion of the adult dose to administer.
Example: a 6 year old child divided by 6 + 12 (18) = 1/3 the adult dose

Dillings Formula
Take the age in years of the child and divide by 20 to get the portion of the adult dose to administer.
Example: a 6 year old child = 6 divided by 20 = 3/10ths

Cowling's Rule
Divide the age at the next birthday by 24.
Example: a 5-year-old would be 6 at the next birthday; 6 divided by 24 equals 6/24 or 1/4. Dose would be 1/4 the adult dosage.

Clark's Rule
Divide the weight in *pounds of the child by 150 to give the approximate fraction of the adult dosage.
(*pounds: using a dosage based on the weight is a more sensible choice. Children vary considerably in size despite their ages. A small 6 year old would require less than a large 6 year old)