in Physics, a quality in natural bodies, whereby they tend downwards towards the centre of the earth. Or, weight may be defined in a less limited manner, to be a power inherent in all bodies whereby they tend to some common point, called the centre of gravity, or, to speak more accurately, to one another; and that with a greater or less velocity, as they are more or less dense, or as the medium they pass through is more or less rare. See Mechanics.

commerce, denotes a body of a known weight appointed to be put in the balance against other bodies whose weight is required.

The security of commerce depending, in a good measure, on the justness of weights, which are usually of lead, iron, or brass, most nations have taken care to prevent the falsification thereof, by stamping or marking them by proper officers, after being adjusted by some original standard. Thus, in England, the standard of weights is kept in the exchequer by a particular officer, called the clerk of the market.

Weights may be distinguished into ancient and modern.

I. Ancient Weights.

1. Those of the ancient Jews, reduced to the English troy weight, will stand as in the following table:

| Shekel | lb. oz. dwt. gr. | |--------|-----------------| | | 9 2 4 |

| Maneh | 2 3 6 10 7 | |--------|-----------------|

| Talent | 113 10 1 10 7 | |--------|-----------------|

2. Roman weights, reduced to English troy weight, will stand as is in the following table:

| Lentes | oz. dwt. gr. Weight | |--------|---------------------| | 4 Silique | 8 4 3 | | 12 Obolus | 9 1 8 | | 24 Scriptulum | 18 1 4 | | 72 Drachma | 2 6 1 2 | | 96 Sextula | 3 0 7 | | 144 Sicilicus | 4 13 7 | | 192 Duella | 6 1 5 | | 576 Uncia | 18 5 7 | | 6912 Libra | 18 13 4 |

The Roman ounce is the English avoirdupois ounce, which they divided into seven denarii, as well as eight drachmas.

3. Attic Weights.

| Drachma | English Troy Weight | |---------|---------------------| | | lb. oz. dwt. gr. | | | 2 16 9 |

| Mina | 1 1 10 10 | |---------|---------------------|

| Talent | 67 7 5 0 | |---------|---------------------|

II. Modern Weights.

1. English Weight.—Mr Renardson, in a paper published in the Philosophical Transactions, has proved, that at first there was but one weight in England, and that this was the avoirdupois. Troy weight was introduced in the time of Henry VII.: At present, both the troy and avoirdupois weights are used in England. Troy weight seems to have derived its name from Troyes, a town in France, where a celebrated fair was kept. It is used for weighing gold, silver, jewels, silk, and all liquors. The avoirdupois is used for weighing other things.

TABLE of Troy Weight, as used by the Goldsmiths, &c.

| Grains | Penny-weights. | |--------|----------------| | 24 | | | 480 | 20 | | 5760 | 240 |

TABLE of Troy Weight, as used by the Apothecaries.

| Grains | Scruple. | |--------|---------| | 20 | 3 | | 60 | 3 | | 480 | 24 | | 5760 | 288 |

The troy pound in Scotland, which by statute is to be the same as the French pound, is commonly supposed equal Weight equal to 15 ounces and three quarters troy English weight, or 7560 grains. But by a mean of the standards kept by the dean-of-guild of Edinburgh, it weighs 7599\(\frac{1}{2}\) or 7600 grains.

**Table of Avoirdupois Weight.**

| Drams | An ounce. | |-------|-----------| | 16 | | | 256 | A pound. | | 7168 | 448 | | 28672 | 1792 | | 573440| 35840 |

The avoirdupois pound is equal to 7004 troy grains, the avoirdupois ounce to 437.75 grains; and it follows of consequence, that the troy pound is to the avoirdupois pound as 88 to 107 nearly; for as 88 to 107, so is 5760 to 7003.636: that the troy ounce is to the avoirdupois ounce as 80 to 73 nearly; for as 80 to 73, so is 480 to 438. An avoirdupois pound is equal to 1 lb. 2 oz. 11 dwt. 20 gr. troy; a troy ounce is equal to 1 oz. 1.55 dr. avoirdupois; an avoirdupois dram contains 27.34375 grains; 175 troy pounds are equal to 144 avoirdupois pounds.

The moneyers have a peculiar subdivision of the grain troy: thus,

\[ \begin{align*} \text{Grain} & \quad \text{Mite} \\ \text{Droit} & \quad \text{Periot} \end{align*} \]

into

\[ \begin{align*} 20 & \quad \text{Mites}, \\ 24 & \quad \text{Droits}, \\ 20 & \quad \text{Periots}, \\ 24 & \quad \text{Blanks}. \end{align*} \]

The English weights are used in the United Provinces of America.

2. **French Weights.**—Different weights were formerly used in most of the different provinces of France: These, however, have undergone very material alterations since the revolution in that kingdom. See Measure. But as a knowledge of the ancient weights of that country is of importance, on account of the books in which they are used, we insert the following tables. The Paris pound contains 16 ounces, and is divided two ways.

| Grains. | Penny-weight. | |---------|---------------| | 24 | | | 72 | 3 | | 576 | 24 | | 4608 | 192 | | 9216 | 384 |

The marc is equal, according to M. Tillet, to 4620 French grains.

The weights of the first division are used to weigh gold, silver, and the richer commodities; and the weights of the second division for commodities of less value.

The Paris 2 marc, or pound weight, is equal to 7560 grains troy, and the Paris ounce equal to 472.5 grains troy.

lb. oz. dtw. gr.

The Paris pound = 1 3 15 0 troy. The Paris ounce = 0 0 19 16.5 troy. A grain troy = 1.2186507 of a Paris grain.

But the pound was not the same throughout France. At Lyons, e.g., the city pound was only 14 ounces: so that 100 Lyons pounds, made only 86 Paris pounds. But beside the city pound, they had another at Lyons for silk, containing 15 ounces. At Thoulouse, and throughout the Upper Languedoc, the pound was 13 ounces and a half of Paris weight. At Marfelles, and throughout Provence, the pound was 13\(\frac{1}{2}\) ounces of Paris weight. At Rouen, beside the common Paris pound and marc, they had the weight of the vicomte; which was 16 ounces, a half, and five-sixths of the Paris weight. The weights enumerated under the two articles of English and French weights are the same that are used throughout the greatest part of Europe; only under somewhat different names, divisions, and proportions.

French weights were formerly used in all the French American settlements.

3. **Dutch Weights.**—The weight used in Amsterdam and all over Holland is called Troy weight, and is exactly the same with that used at Brussels. The Dutch weights are as follows:

| Deuskens. | Troyken. | |-----------|----------| | 2 | | | 4 | 2 | | 16 | 8 | | 512 | 256 | | 10240 | 5120 | | 81920 | 40960 |

The marc is equal, according to M. Tillet, to 4620 French grains. The Amsterdam pound used in commerce is divided into 16 ounces, 32 loots, or 128 drams. This pound contains 2 marcs troy, and ought therefore to weigh only 10240 as; but it weighs 10280 as, so that it is a little heavier than the Troy pound of Amsterdam: 256 lb. of commerce are equal to 257 lb. troy of Holland. Two different pounds are used by apothecaries; the one containing 2 marcs, the other only 1½. The first is called arseneic pound weight; it contains 16 ounces, the ounce 8 drams, the dram 8 scruples, the scruple 20 grains. The second is called the apothecary's pound; it is divided into 12 ounces, or 24 loots. Three arseneic pounds are equal to 4 apothecary's pounds.

The Dutch stone = 8 commercial lb. The Lifpund, or Ll. = 15 The hundred weight = 100 The Schippondt, or Sch. lb. = 300

4. Spanish Weights.—The marc of Castile, used for weighing gold and silver, is divided as follows:

| Grains (gold weight). | |-----------------------| | 1½ Grain (silver weight). | | 12 11½ Tomine (gold weight). | | 12½ 12 Tomine (silver weight). | | 37½ 36 3 Adarme | | 75 72 6½ 6 2 Ochava. | | 96 92 8 7½ 2½ 1½ Castellano. | | 600 576 50 48 16 8 Ounce. | | 4800 4608 400 384 128 64 50 Marc. |

The marc, according to Tillet, is equal to 7 oz. 4 gros, 8 grains French, which is equal to 4785 as of Holland. One hundred marcs of Castile = about 93½ marcs of Holland; 100 marcs of Holland = 107 marcs of Castile. Medicines are sold by the same marc; but it is divided differently, containing 8 ounces, 64 drachms, 192 scruples, 384 obolos, 1152 caraceras, 4608 grains.

The Spanish commercial pound is divided into two marcs, called marcs of Troy, each of which is equal to the marc of Castile. This pound is divided into 16 ounces, 256 adarmes, 9216 grains.

5. Weights of Portugal.—The Lisbon marc for assaying silver coin of 12 deniers, and the denier of 24 grains. The marc of Portugal for weighing gold and silver is equal, according to Tillet, to 7 ounces 3½ gros, and 34 grains French, which makes 4776 as of Holland; so that it is exactly the same with the Lisbon pound. It is divided into 8 ounces, 64 outavas, 192 scruples, 4608 grains.

The pound consists of 2 marcs, 16 ounces, or 96 outavas; the arroba of 32 lb.; the quintal of 4 arrobas, or 128 lb. 100 Oporto pounds make 87½ pounds of commerce of Amsterdam.

6. Weights of Italy.—Genoa. Two kinds of weights are used at Genoa, the peso grosso (heavy weight), and the peso fottile (light weight); the latter is used for weighing gold and silver, the former for other things. The pound of the peso fottile is equal, according to Tillet, to 1 marc, 2 ounces, 2½ gros, 30 grains French. It is divided into 8 ounces, the ounce into 24 deniers, and the denier into 24 grains. The pound of the peso grosso is equal to 1 marc, 2 ounces, 3 gros, 5 grains, French. It is divided into 12 ounces:

- The cantaro = 100 lbs. peso grosso. - The rubbo = 25 lbs. - The rotolo = 1½ lb. - 100 lbs. peso grosso = 64½ lb. of commerce of Amsterdam. - 100 lbs. peso fottile = 129 marcs troy of Holland.

Rome. The Roman pound consists of 12 ounces, the ounce of 24 deniers, the denier of 24 grains. The Roman pound, according to Tillet, is equal to 1 marc, 3 ounces, ½ gros, 14 grains, French.

Venice. The marc for weighing gold and silver contains 8 ounces, 32 quarti, 1152 carati, or 4608 grani. An hundred marcs of Venice = 97½ marcs troy of Holland, 100 marcs of Holland = 103 of Venice. In Venice they also use a peso grosso and peso fottile. 100 lbs. peso grosso = 94½ commercial lbs. of Amsterdam. 100 lbs. peso fottile = 61½ ditto.

7. Swedish Weights.—The marc for weighing gold and silver is equal to 16 lods, 64 quintins, or 4384 as. The pound of 32 lods, used for weighing food, is equal, according to Tillet, to 1 marc, 5 ounces, 7 gros, 8 grains French, which makes 8848 as of Troy of Holland. This answers exactly to the weight of the different pounds, as fixed in Sweden, viz. 8848 as = the pound for weighing articles of food; 7821¾ as = marc used in the mines; 7450¾ as = marc used in towns and in the country; 7078¾ as = marc used for weighing iron; 7416 as = pound used in medicine.

- The skippund = 400 lbs. for weighing food. - The center = 120 lbs. - The waag = 165 lbs. - The sten = 32 lbs. - The Swedith as = 1 as of Holland troy.

8. German Weights.—Vienna. The marc of Vienna for weighing gold and silver is divided into 16 loths, 64 quintals, or 256 deniers or pfennings; the loth into 4 quintals, or 16 pfennings. This marc, according to Tillet, is equal to 1 marc, 1 ounce, 1 gros, 16 grains, French, = 5831 as troy Holland. The pound of Vienna is divided into 2 marcs, or 4 viertings; the mark into 8 ounces, 16 loths, 64 quintals, or 266 pfennings.

Hamburg. The marc for assaying gold is divided into 24 carats; the carat into 12 grains. The marc for silver is divided into 16 loths, and the loth into 18 grains. These marcs consist each of 288 grains, and are therefore equal. This marc, used in Hamburg for gold and silver, is the marc of Cologne, which is equal, according to Tillet, to 7 ounces, 5 gros, 7½ grains, French, = 4866 as troy of Holland. It is divided into 8 ounces, 16 loths, 64 quintins, 256 pfennings, 4352 echtes, or 65536 richt pfennings theile. The apothecary pound used in Hamburg, and almost all Germany, is divided into 12 ounces, 96 drachms, 288 scruples, or 5760 grains; an ounce is equal to 621 as of Holland. The pound of commerce is equal, according to Tillet, to 1083 as of Holland; for half a pound is equal to 7 ounces, 7 gros, 23 grains, French. This pound is divided into 16 ounces, 32 loths, 128 quentins, or 512 pfenings.

9. Russian Weights.—The berckowitz = 400 lbs. The pound = 40 lbs. The pound is divided into 32 loths, or 96 folotnicks. One hundred Ruffian lbs. = 166½ marcs, or 82½ lbs. of Amsterdam. One hundred lbs. of commerce of Amsterdam = 120½ th lbs. of Ruffia.

10. Weights used in the several parts of Asia, the East Indies, China, Persia, &c.—In Turkey, at Smyrna, &c., they use the batman, or battamant, containing 7½ occos; the occo contains 4 chekys or pounds, each of which, according to Tillet, is equal to 1 marc 2 oz. 3 gros, 28 gr. French. The Turkish weights are divided as follows:

| Cantaras. | Batmans. | Occos. | Rotolos. | Chekis. | Mefcals. | Drachms. | |-----------|----------|--------|---------|--------|----------|---------| | 1 = 7½ = 44 = 100 = 176 = 1173 = 17600 | 1 = 6 = 13½ = 24 = 1600 = 2400 | 1 = 2½ = 4 = 266½ = 400 | 1 = 1½ = 10 = 117½ = 176 | 1 = 6½ = 66½ = 100 |

At Aleppo there are three sorts of rottos; the first 720 drachms, making about 7 pounds English, and serving to weigh cottons, galls, and other large commodities; the second is 680 drachms, used for all silks but white ones, which are weighed by the third roto of 700 drachms. At Seyda the roto is 600 drachms.

The other ports of the Levant, not named here, use some of these weights; particularly the occa, or ocqua, the rottoli, and roto.

The Chinese weights are, the piece for large commodities: it is divided into 100 catis or cattis, though some say into 125; the cati into 16 taels or tales, each tael equivalent to 1½ of an ounce English, or the weight of one rial and ½, and containing 12 mas or marles, and each mas 10 condims. So that the Chinese piece amounts to 137 pounds English avoirdupois, and the cati to 1 pound 8 ounces. The pico for silk containing 66 catis and ½; the bahar, bakaire, or barr, containing 300 catis.

Tonquin has also the same weights, measures, &c., as China. Japan has only one weight, viz. the cati; which, however, is different from that of China, as containing 20 taels. At Surat, Agra, and throughout the states of the Great Mogul, they use the man, or maund, whereof they have two kinds; the king's maund, or king's weight; and the maund simply; the first used for the weighing of common provisions, containing 40 feers, or ferres; and each feer a just Paris pound. The common maund, used in the weighing of merchandise, consists likewise of 40 feers, but each feer is only estimated at 12 Paris ounces, or ¼ of the other feer.

The maund may be looked upon as the common weight of the East Indies, though under some difference of name, or rather of pronunciation; it being called mao at Cambaya, and in other places mein and maum. The feer is properly the Indian pound, and of universal use; the like may be said of the bahar, tael, and cati, above mentioned.

The weights of Siam are the piece, containing two shans or cattis; but the Siamese cati is only half the Japanese, the latter containing 20 taels and the former only 10; though some make the Chinese cati only 16 taels, and the Siamese 8. The tael contains 4 baats, or ticals, each about a Paris ounce; the baat 4 felings or mayons; the mayon 2 fouangs; the fouang 4 payes; the paye 2 clams; the pompaye half a fouang.

It is to be observed, that these are the names of their coins as well as weights; silver and gold being commodities there sold, as other things, by their weights.

In the isle of Java, and particularly at Bantam, they use the gantam, which amounts to near 3 Dutch pounds. In Golconda, at Vilapour, and Goa, they have the furatelle, containing 1 pound 14 ounces English; the manganis, or mangelin, for weighing diamonds and precious stones, weighing at Goa 5 grains, at Golconda, &c. 5½ grains. They have also the rotolo, containing 14½ ounces English; the metrical, containing the sixth part of an ounce; the wall for piastres and ducats, containing the 73rd part of a rial.

In Persia they use two kinds of batmans or mans; the one called cali or cheray which is the king's weight, and the other batman of Taurir. The first weighs 13 pounds 10 ounces English; the second 6½ pounds. Its divisions are the ratel, or a 16th; the derhem, or drachm, which is the 50th; the mefchel, which is half the derhem; the dung, which is the sixth part of the mefchel, being equivalent to 6 carat grains; and lastly, the grain, which is the fourth part of the dung. They have also the vakie, which exceeds a little our ounce; the fah-cheray, equal to the 1170th part of the derhem; and the toman, used to weigh out large payments of money without telling; its weight is that of 50 abases.

11. Weights at Cairo in Egypt.—Almost every kind of goods has its own weight; these are regulated by the cantaren or principal weight.

Rotels.

The ordinary cantaren, or hundred weight, weighs 100

The cantaren of quicksilver and tin - 102 coffee, wine, and iron - 105 ivory - 100 almonds and other fruits - 115 woods for dying - 120 arsenic and other drugs - 125 minium and cinnabar - 130 gum-arabic, aloes, and other aromatics - 133

The ratel or rotoli is nearly equal to the pound of Marfeilles; 108 lbs. of Marfeilles are equal to 110 rots. The Marfeilles pound consists of 13 ounces of Paris; so that the 100 lbs. of Marfeilles are equal to 81 lbs. Paris, and 100 lbs. Paris = 123 lbs. of Marfeilles.

We shall subjoin here Mr Fergulon's table for comparing the English avoirdupois pound with foreign pounds:

| London pound | Antwerp | Amsterdam | Abbeville | Ancona | Avignon | Bordeaux | Bologna | |--------------|---------|-----------|-----------|--------|---------|----------|--------| | Bruges | Calabria| Calais | Dieppe | Dantzic| Ferrara | Flanders | Geneva | | 1.0000 | 1.04 | 1.1111 | 1.0089 | 0.78 | 0.8928 | 1.0089 | 0.8 | | Bruges | Calabria| Calais | Dieppe | Dantzic| Ferrara | Flanders | Geneva | | 1.0204 | 0.73 | 0.9345 | 1.0089 | 0.862 | 0.75 | 0.9433 | 1.07 | | Tables and Traits | | | | | | | Genoa |

London pound 1.0000 | Bruges 1.0204 | Tables and Traits | Calabria 0.73 | Calais 0.9345 | Dieppe 1.0089 | Dantzic 0.862 | Ferrara 0.75 | Flanders 0.9433 | Geneva 1.07 | Genoa In order to show the proportion of the several weights used throughout Europe, we shall add a reduction of them to one standard, viz. the London pound.

The 100lb. of England, Scotland, and Ireland are equal to

| Weight | Genoa, gros | Hamburg | Lisbon | Leghorn | Norimberg | Naples | Paris | Prague | Placentia | |--------|------------|---------|--------|---------|-----------|--------|-------|--------|----------| | | 0.7 | 1.0865 | 1.135 | 0.75 | 1.1363 | 0.71 | 1.1235| 1.2048 | 0.72 |

Rochelle | Rome | Rouen | Seville | Thoulouse | Turin | Venice | Vienna | |---------|------|-------|---------|-----------|-------|--------|--------| | 0.8928 | 0.7874 | 1.1089 | 0.9259 | 0.8928 | 0.82 | 1.06 | 1.23 |

In order to point out the relative weight with greater precision.

Many attempts have been made to introduce an uniformity of weights and measures into the commercial world; but hitherto they have all failed. The accomplishment of such an undertaking would be of infinite advantage to mankind, and certainly claims the most serious attention of those who by their situation can alone bring it about. The undertaking is indeed difficult, but surely not impossible. Something of this kind has been attempted and adopted in France; and, as the method is simple, and exceedingly well adapted for calculation, it surely deserves to be imitated. See Measure.

**Weight of Air.** See Pneumatics, No. 14—19.

Regulation of Weights and Measures, is a branch of the king's prerogative. See Prerogative and Measure.

As weight and measure are things in their nature arbitrary and uncertain, it is therefore expedient that they be reduced to some fixed rule or standard: which standard it is impossible to fix by any written law or oral proclamation; for no man can, by words only, give another an adequate idea of a foot rule, or a pound weight. It is therefore necessary to have recourse to some visible, palpable, material standard; by forming a comparison with which all weights and measures may be reduced to one uniform size; and the prerogative of fixing this standard, our ancient law vested in the crown, as in Normandy it belonged to the duke. This standard was originally kept at Winchester; and we find in the laws of King Edgar, near a century before the conquest, an injunction that the one measure, which was kept at Winchester, should be observed throughout the realm. Most nations have regulated the standard of measures of length by comparison with the parts of the human body; as the palm, the hand, the span, the foot, the cubit, the ell (ulna or arm), the pace, and the fathom. But as these are of different dimensions in men of different proportions, our ancient historians inform us, that a new standard of longitudinal measure was ascertained by King Henry the First; who commanded that the ulna, or ancient ell, which answers to the modern yard, should be made of the exact length of his own arm. And one standard of measure of length being gained, all others are easily derived from thence; those of greater length by multiplying, those of less by dividing, that original standard. Thus, by the statute called compositio ulnorum et peticarum, five yards and a half make a perch; and the yard is subdivided into three feet, and each foot into 12 inches; which inches will be each of the length of three grains of barley. Superficial measures are derived by squaring those of length; and measures of capacity by cubing them. The standard of weights was originally taken from corns of wheat, whence the lowest denomination of weights we have is still called a grain; 32 of which are directed, by the statute called compositio mensurarum, to compose a pennyweight, whereof 20 make an ounce, 12 ounces a pound, and so upwards. And upon these principles the first standards were made; which, being originally so fixed by the crown, their subsequent regulations have been generally made by the king in parliament. Thus, under King Richard I., in his parliament held at Westminster, A.D. 1197, it was ordained that there should be only one weight and one measure. Weight measure throughout the kingdom, and that the custody of the assize, or standard of weights and measures, should be committed to certain persons in every city and borough; from whence the ancient office of the king's assayer seems to have been derived, whose duty it was, for a certain fee, to measure all cloths made for sale, till the office was abolished by the statute 11th and 12th William III. c. 20. In King John's time this ordinance of King Richard was frequently dispensed with for money; which occasioned a provision to be made for enforcing it, in the great charters of King John and his son. These original standards were called pondus regis, and mensura domini regis, and are directed by a variety of subsequent statutes to be kept in the exchequer chamber, by an officer called the clerk of the market, except the wine gallon, which is committed to the city of London, and kept in Guildhall.

The Scottish standards are distributed among the oldest boroughs. The eland is kept at Edinburgh, the pint at Stirling, the pound at Lanark, and the firkin at Linlithgow.

Various statutes have been enacted for regulating and enforcing an uniformity of weights and measures; and by the articles of union, the English standards are established by law over all Great Britain. But the force of custom is so strong, that these statutes have been ill observed. The Scottish standards are still universally retained for many purposes; and likewise a variety of local weights and measures are used in particular places of both countries, which differ from the general standards of either.