Han, I agree with you. Some years ago I went to Longleat House in Wiltshire where I saw a French barometer from the late 1700's that had been acquired by its English owners when many of the French nobility were fleeing France at the start of the revolution. The scale was inches of mercury, but my wife was in too much of a hurry to allow me to check with the curator whether they were English inches or French inches. (The French inches were about 6% bigger).
Regards Martin -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of H. Maenen Sent: 09 September 2012 08:25 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:51883] Re: Rare mercury thermometer made by Daniel Fahrenheit in early 1700s set to fetch £100,000 at auction | Mail Online Dear John, I read it too and the Luddite comments as well. I wish that this thermoeter went to my country, to the Leiden Science Museum. It is part of our heritage. Although I reject the Fahrenheit scale, I still think that it started standardizing thermometric measurement. Before that it was a muddle. There was even a thermometer with 18!!! scales! Fahrenheit also invented the mercury in glass thermometer and he made some important discoveries. Any biography of Fahrenheit will show his achievements. I respect Fahrenheit as a person and as a scientist. He was a member of the prestigious British Royal Society. Fahrenheit was the first, than came Celsius and Kelvin. I would never want a modern thermometer with a Fahrenheit scale in my home, but I would love to posses a replica of one of his thermometers. Even these would cost a lot of money. At the Leiden museum some years ago I saw one of his own thermometers in working order. The room thermometer was at 20 degrees Celsius, and the Fahrenheit one was at 68 degrees. Yours, Han ----- Oorspronkelijk bericht ----- Van: "Kilopascal" <[email protected]> Aan: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Verzonden: Donderdag 30 augustus 2012 06:03:41 Onderwerp: Rare mercury thermometer made by Daniel Fahrenheit in early 1700s set to fetch £100,000 at auction | Mail Online The comments are most interesting, especially the tired old Luddites that can't divide 10 by 3 or are hung-up on this needless exercise. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194635/Rare-mercury-thermometer-Daniel-Fahrenheit-early-1700s-set-fetch-100-000-auction.html#ixzz24y6RYgP8
