_Grains._ _Scruples._ _Drachms._ _Ounces._ _Pound Troy._ gr. ℈ Ʒ ℥ ℔ 5760 or 288 or 96 or 12 == 1 480 or 24 or 8 == 1 60 or 3 == 1 20 == 1 1 CELSUS’S WEIGHTS COMPARED WITH APOTHECARIES’ WEIGHTS. No. VI. Grains of Sextan- Dena- Semun- Ses- Li- Apothecaries’. Troy wt. tes. rii. ciæ. Unciæ. cun. bra. ℥ Ʒ ℈ gr. 5208 or 504 or 84 or 24 or 12 or 8 == 1 == 10 : 6 : 2 : 8 651 or 63 or 10-1/2 or 3 or 1-1/2 == 1 -- - == 1 : 2 : 2 : 11 434 or 42 or 7 or 2 == 1 -- -- -- -- - == 0 : 7 : 0 : 14 217 or 21 or 3-1/2 == 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- - == 0 : 3 : 1 : 17 62 or 6 == 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - == 0 : 1 : 0 : 2 10-1/3 == 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - == 0 : 0 : 0 : 10-1/2 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - == 0 : 0 : 0 : 1 Note 1st. The Romans divided all integers, as they did their _as_, into twelve equal parts called _unciæ_. Thus the _sextans_ was the sixth part of the _as_, containing _two of these unciæ_, _quadrans_ one fourth, or _three unciæ_, _triens_ the third part, or _four unciæ_, _semis_ one half, or _six unciæ_, _bes_ or _bessis_ two-thirds, or _eight unciæ_, _dodrans_ three-fourths being _nine unciæ_. The weight of these then differs, as the integer is the _libra_, the _uncia_, or _denarius_, which the attentive reader will easily reduce, if he is disposed to calculate the quantities, observing that they are not to be taken for aliquot parts of the denarius, but when they follow the mark of the denarius. The integer preceding, and the nature of the composition will be the best explication. Note 2. The denarius mark was X or Ӿ, as containing originally ten small asses. This by the copiers has been often confounded with X, denoting the number of _ten denarii_; so that after all the pains of critics and commentators, the proportions of the ingredients in several compositions seem to be irrecoverably lost. For this reason, I suppose the later editors have thought fit to change it for the common asterisk. Note 3. The characters for quantities are variously marked in different authors, and the same note has several values. There is one of this uncertainty in Celsus, that is _Z_, which we are told expresses the _libra_, the _sescuncia_, the _sextans of a pound_, the _denarius_ and the _sextans of a denarius_[W]. Which of these different values it bears in any particular place must be determined by the connection. When it follows the mark of the _denarius_, it can mean no more than the _sextans_ of a _denarius_. [W] Rhodius de Ponderib. et Mensur. Cels. Note 4. p. stands for _pondo_, which is an indeclinable word, and when joined with numbers, signifies _libra_ or a _pound_; when with other weights, it stands for no more than _pondus_ or _weight in general_.