Scott, I like the issue you raised. Yes, in 1974 they were training pharmacists. Pharmacists are called, semi-colloquially in some countries, chemists. We studied chemistry, of course. But use of the apothecary system was akin to the the wearing of powdered wigs in courts of law in some countries: an affectation of tradition that could be discarded. In the pure discipline of chemistry, NO ONE uses those units!! But, the old tie between pharmacy and medicine still required their use. In 1995, however, the United States Pharmacopoeia officially eliminated the conversion table for apothecary units, thus deprecating those units in healthcare. They have not passed from the scene completely, though. One still sees products, and medication orders, in grains, usually Tylenol or aspirin. I get nurses calling me asking how much 10 grains are (650 mg).
Paul Quoting Scott Hudnall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > This must be a generational thing ;) > > I took high school chemistry in the late 1980's and college chemistry in > 1990's. I don't know HOW to do chemistry using these units. Thank goodness > they stopped even teaching them a long time ago (even here in the US) ! > > Scott > > On Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at 01:59PM, "Martin Vlietstra" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Now try adding grams on a spreadsheet. The try adding ounces, scruples, > >drams and grains on a spreadsheet. This time metric wins hands-down. In > >fact, I would venture to suggest that the majority of people who insist on > >using customary units in this instance probably couldn't use a spreadsheet > >anyway. > > > > > > > > _____ > > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > >Of Paul Trusten > >Sent: 15 May 2007 16:59 > >To: U.S. Metric Association > >Cc: U.S. Metric Association > >Subject: [USMA:38693] Re: Is U.S. metrication still considered "extreme?" > > > > > > > >That's the key---we are all from Missouri. We need to be shown. I was shown > >way back in 1974, when I discovered that adding grams and getting a > >mathematical total (just a plain old sum) was a lot easier than having to > >change ounces, scruples, and drams to grains, adding up the grains, then > >converting the sum back to ounces, scruples, and drams. > > > >. snip > > > > > > > > > > > > -- Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. Phone (432)528-7724 www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 USA mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.grandecom.net/~trusten
