Dram (unit)

The dram (alternative British spelling drachm; apothecary symbol ʒ or ℨ;Template:Efn abbreviated dr)<ref name="OEDdrachm">Template:Cite encyclopedia Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1897.</ref><ref name="NIST">National Institute of Standards and Technology (October 2011). Butcher, Tina; Cook, Steve; Crown, Linda et al. eds. "Appendix C – General Tables of Units of Measurement" (PDF). Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices. NIST Handbook. 44 (2012 ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology. ISSN 0271-4027. OCLC Template:OCLC. Retrieved 1 July 2012.</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="Boyer2009">Template:Cite book</ref> is a unit of mass in the avoirdupois system, and both a unit of mass and a unit of volume in the apothecaries' system.<ref name="NIST" /> It was originally both a coin and a weight in ancient Greece.<ref name="OEDdram" /> The unit of volume is more correctly called a fluid dram, fluid drachm, fluidram or fluidrachm (abbreviated fl dr, ƒ 3, or fʒ).<ref name="OEDdrachm" /><ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp<ref name="Boyer2009" /><ref name="RoyalCollege1850">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="PowellRoyalCollege1809">Template:Cite book</ref>

Ancient unit of mass

File:Ilyria.Dyracchium.Drachm Ceka 360.jpg

lang}}) cow standing right, looking back at calf which it suckles, eagle standing right above; Reverse: DUR PURBA, square containing double stellate pattern, club to left. Size: 20mm; Reference: Ceka 360

• The Attic Greek drachma ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) was a weight of 6 obols, Template:Frac Greek mina, or about 4.37 grams.<ref name="Mastronarde1993">Template:Cite book</ref>
• The Roman drachma was a weight of Template:Frac Roman pounds, or about 3.41 grams.<ref name="DICTIONARY OF GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES.">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Ramsay1883">Template:Cite book</ref>

A coin weighing one drachma is known as a stater, drachm, or drachma. The Ottoman dirhem (Template:Langx) was based on the Sassanian drachm, which was itself based on the Roman dram/drachm.

British unit of mass

The British Weights and Measures Act 1878 introduced verification and consequent stamping of apothecary weights, making them officially recognized units of measurement. By 1900, Britain had enforced the distinction between the avoirdupois and apothecaries' versions by making the spelling different:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• dram now meant only avoirdupois drams, which were Template:Frac of an avoirdupois ounce. An ounce consisted of 437.5 grains, thus making the dram exactly 27.34375 grains.
• drachm now meant only apothecaries' drachms, which were Template:Frac of an apothecaries' ounce of 480 grains, or equal to 60 grains.

Modern unit of mass

In the avoirdupois system, the dram is the mass of Template:Frac pound or Template:Frac ounce.<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp The dram weighs Template:Frac grains,<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp or exactly Template:Val grams.<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp

In the apothecaries' system, which was widely used in the United States until the middle of the 20th century,<ref name="nbs447">Template:Cite book</ref> the dram is the mass of Template:Frac pounds apothecaries (lb ap), or Template:Frac ounces apothecaries (oz ap or ℥)<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp (the pound apothecaries and ounce apothecaries are equal to the troy pound (lb t), and troy ounce (oz t), respectively).<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp The dram apothecaries is equal to Template:Val or Template:Val,<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp or exactly Template:Val grams.<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp

"Dram" is also used as a measure of the powder charge in a shotgun shell, representing the equivalent of black powder in drams avoirdupois.<ref name="BuzzacottBoyles2008">Template:Cite book</ref>

Unit of volume

File:Whisky tasting glass.jpg

A "wee dram", in Scotland the 35 ml measurement.

The fluid dram (or fluid drachm in British spelling<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) is defined as Template:Frac of a fluid ounce,<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp and is equal to exactly:

• Template:Val in the U.S. customary system<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp
• Template:Val in the British imperial system<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp<ref name="UnitsOfMeasurementRegulations1995">Template:Cite book</ref>

A teaspoonful has been considered equal to one fluid dram for medical prescriptions.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1911.</ref> However, by 1876 the teaspoon had grown considerably larger than it was previously, measuring 80–85 minims.<ref name="Eclectic1876">Template:Cite journal</ref> As there are 60 minims in a fluid dram,<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp using this equivalent for the dosage of medicine was no longer suitable.<ref name="Eclectic1876" /> Today's US teaspoon is equivalent to exactly 4.92892159375 ml, which is also Template:Frac US fluid ounces, Template:Frac US fluid drams,<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp or 80 US minims.<ref name="NIST" />Template:Rp

While pharmaceuticals are measured nowadays exclusively in metric units, fluid drams are still used to measure the capacity of pill containers.

Dram is used informally to mean a small amount of liquor, especially Scotch whisky.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="OEDdram">Template:Cite encyclopedia Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1897.</ref> The unit is referenced by the phrase dram shop, the U.S. legal term for an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In popular culture

The line "Where'd you get your whiskey, where'd you get your dram?" appears in some versions of the traditional pre–Civil War American song "Cindy".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the Monty Python's song "The Bruces' Philosophers Song", there is the line "Hobbes was fond of his dram". In the old-time music tradition of the United States, there is a tune entitled "Gie the Fiddler a Dram",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Brown, John. Gie the fiddler a dram. Rec. May 1939 by Herbert Halpert. Lib. of Cong. Web. 15 September 2015. <http://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.7452>.</ref> "gie" being the Scots language word for "give", brought over by immigrants and commonly used by their descendants in Appalachia at the time of writing. "Little Maggie," a traditional song popular in bluegrass music, refers to the title character as having a "dram glass in her hand."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the episode "Double Indecency" of the TV series Archer, the character Cheryl/Carol was carrying around 10 drams of Vole's blood and even offered to pay for a taxi ride with it.

In Frank Herbert's Dune, the Fremen employ a sophisticated measurement system that involves the drachm (and fractions thereof) to accurately count and economize water, an ultra-precious resource on their home, the desert planet Arrakis.

In the video game Caves of Qud water is used as the primary currency, being measured by the Dram.

External links

• Appendix C – General Tables of Units of Measurement in Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices. NIST Handbook 44 (2012 ed.).
• Image Template:Webarchive of Ancient Greek silver drachm with flying Pegasus, Acarnania, Leucas, c. 470–450 BCE