Fluidram

/ˈfluːɪdˌræm/ noun

Definition

A unit of liquid volume in the apothecaries' system of measurement, equal to one-eighth fluid ounce, used historically in medicine and pharmacy.

Etymology

Variant shortening of 'fluidrachm,' with 'ram' being a colloquial abbreviation. Common in pharmaceutical texts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Kelly Says

The fluidram is practically extinct now, but it was so important to medicine that old pharmacy textbooks are full of recipes measured in fluidrams. It's a ghost of a measurement system—useful enough to survive in writing but too inconvenient for modern use.

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