At various intervals during the present century speculation has been indulged in, and more or less lively discussion has taken place about the great benefit it would confer on universal humanity, were all the weights and measures of the whole earth arranged on the same standard. The universal standard proposed has been, of course, the metrical system, which had been elaborated by French _savants_ who most probably thought they had arrived at such a state of knowledge that they were able to establish the foundations of all science of all kinds and for all time, upon the most sure and most durable principles. These periods of metrical fever, so to speak, seem to come on without any apparent immediately exciting cause, and some people succumb to the disease, others do not, just the same as in the cases of cholera, influenza, plague, etc. Whether some species of inoculation for it may be discovered, or whether it will be found that an unlimited attack is really perfect health, will most probably be found out in the course of time, although it may be some centuries hence. What is of interest to understand at the present time is, what are the benefits to be derived from the proposed universal standard of weights and measures, and how they are to be attained. The principal and most imposing reason for its adoption is that it would be of immense service to scientific men all over the world, who would thus be able to understand the discourses, writings, discoveries, etc. of each other without the necessity of having to enter into calculations of any kind in order to be able to comprehend the arithmetical part of what they have listened to or read. Another argument brought forward in favour is, that it would greatly facilitate commercial transactions with foreign countries; and it has been lately advanced that great loss is suffered by one country selling its goods, manufactured according to its own measures, in countries where the metrical system has been adopted. Yet another advantage held out is the convenience it would be to travellers in money matters; but as this argument cannot be admitted without taking into consideration the necessity for one universal language all over the world, it has practically no place in any discussion on the subject, until the evil caused by the building of the Tower of Babel has been remedied. Not long after one of the periodical attacks of metric fever we came upon an essay written by J. J. Jeans on "England's Supremacy," and published in New York by Harper and Brothers, in 1886, in which we found the following:-- Numerical relation of occupations in England and Wales in 1881: Professional 2·5 per cent. Domestic 7·0 " Agricultural 5·3 " Commercial 3·7 " Industrial 24·5 " In all 43·0 "