Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP. III. Of the weights of Medicines.

BUt before we come to the preparation and composition of medicines, by which two Pharmacopeia is finished, something is to be premised of the weights and measures of Physick, and of the dose of medicines, for things out of which the formes of medicines are prepared, are esteemed either by number, or a heap, or weight, or measure.

Fruits and Pulse, * 1.1 and the greater seeds, are numbred, and when the number ••is equall, they are divided into paires, or couples, and tis written, Par. 2.3.

But the quantity of medicines is described by heape, by little handfulls, by great handfulls, and little bundles: and Physitians use these principally in leaves, hearbs, flowers, barley, and certaine seeds, salt, and other things: A Pu∣gill is as much as can be comprehended by the extremities of the fingers joined together, and drawne together, and tis called by some a little handfull: A handfull is as much as can be held or comprehended in the hand: A little bundle is as much as we can take between our armes.

By weights, as by the balance and scales, * 1.2 they weigh dry things for the most part, but liquid things they mea∣sure, although they also may be described by weights. And the measures are no other then such as are described by pounds and ounces.

But although there be great variety of weights, * 1.3 we will propound onely those which Phisitians use at this day eve∣ry where up and downe, and are most necessary for the reading of Authors.

The least of all weights is a Graine, * 1.4 which moreover is constant, and ought to be one and the same amongst all Nations; for although without doubt, it tooke its name from a graine of Barley, or Wheate, yet since there is not the same weight of these in all places, not these but the smallest Money, which in all Nations is the same, and is kept unchanged, and is to be accounted for the foundation and beginning of all weights: But it is noted by Physitians in this manner, Gr. g.

A Chalcus with the Greeks, consists of two graines, * 1.5 which kinde of weight the Arabians named Kestuf, com∣monly called Aercolum, or two graines.

Dicalcon makes foure graines, * 1.6 with which agrees Cheration: Siliqua or foure graines, which the Arabians call Chirat.

Hemiobolon, or Hemiobolion, * 1.7 a Semiobilon is six graines.

Obolon, * 1.8 or Obulum consists of twelve graines, the sixth part of a drachme.

Foure and twenty graines make a scruple, * 1.9 for a scruple consists of two Obolaes. Whence with the Greeks a Diobo∣lon, is the same with the scruple, whence it is also called by the Greeks Gramma, that is, a Letter, to wit because an ounce containes so many in it, as the Greeks have Let∣ters: and it is the four and twentieth part of an ounce. But amongst later Writers, for the most part, those which fol∣lowed Nicholaus, and Venetous, a scruple containes only twenty graines, and it is thus noted, ʒ

Thirty six graines make Hemidrachmon, or Triobolon, * 1.10 that is halfe a drachme, which they call an Egyptian bean, or an Alexandrian bean, ʒ ss.

Seventy two graines make an Attique drachme, * 1.11 which is used by Physitians; but the drachm of Nicholaus and Ve∣netus, which at this day, for the most part, is used every where, containes onely sixty graines, Drachimi, and Dar∣chimie, or Darchimet, with the Arabians, the word being corrupted, is called Drachmes, in English a Drachm. By Se∣rapio, and the same Arabicks it is also called Aureus, and by the same these names, Drachme, and Aurei, are often confounded: But at other times, Nummus Aureus, or De∣narius containes foure scruples, namely a whole Drachm, and the third part of a Drachm; eight Drachms make an ounce, and it is thus marked, ℥i.

Twelve ounces make a pound, lb. Deunx makes eleven ounces, ℥XI. Dextans hath ten ounces, ℥X Dodrans hath nine ounces, ℥IX. Bes hath eight ounces, ℥VIII. Septunx hath seven ounces, ℥VII. Semios or Selibra hath six ounces, ℥VI. Quincunx hath five ounces, ℥V. Quadrans hath foure ounces, ℥IV. Triens hath three ounces, ℥III. Hereunto belongs the Table *

Notes

• * 1.1

  What things are accounted by number. By heape. By pugill. Little handfull. Bundle.
• * 1.2

  By weight.
• * 1.3

  By mea∣sure.
• * 1.4

  A Graine.
• * 1.5

  Chalcus.
• * 1.6

  Siliqua.
• * 1.7

  Semiobo∣lus.
• * 1.8

  Obolus.
• * 1.9

  A Scruple.
• * 1.10

  Semidrach∣ma.
• * 1.11

  A Drachm.