Dram (unit)

The dram (alternative British spelling drachm; apothecary symbol ʒ or ℨ;Template:Efn abbreviated dr)Template:Rp is a unit of mass in the avoirdupois system, and both a unit of mass and a unit of volume in the apothecaries' system. It was originally both a coin and a weight in ancient Greece. The unit of volume is more correctly called a fluid dram, fluid drachm, fluidram or fluidrachm (abbreviated fl dr, ƒ 3, or fʒ).Template:Rp

Ancient unit of mass

Ilyria Dyracchium drachm

Silver Drachm from Dyrrhachium, Illyria dated Template:Circa. Obverse: () 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 () was a weight of 6 obols, 1⁄100 Greek mina, or about 4.37 grams.
• The Roman drachma was a weight of 1⁄96 Roman pounds, or about 3.41 grams.

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:

• dram now meant only avoirdupois drams, which were 1⁄16 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 1⁄8 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 1⁄256 pound or 1⁄16 ounce.Template:Rp The dram weighs 27+11⁄32 grains,Template:Rp or exactly Template:Val grams.Template:Rp

In the apothecaries' system, which was widely used in the United States until the middle of the 20th century, the dram is the mass of 1⁄96 pounds apothecaries (lb ap), or 1⁄8 ounces apothecaries (oz ap or ℥)Template:Rp (the pound apothecaries and ounce apothecaries are equal to the troy pound (lb t), and troy ounce (oz t), respectively).Template:Rp The dram apothecaries is equal to Template:Val or Template:Val,Template:Rp or exactly Template:Val grams.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.

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) is defined as 1⁄8 fluid ounce,Template:Rp and is equal to:

• Template:Val in the U.S. customary systemTemplate:Rp
• Template:Val in the British imperial systemTemplate:Rp

In the early 19th century, a teaspoonful had been considered equal to one fluid dram—60 minimsTemplate:Rp—for medical prescriptions. However, by 1876 the teaspoon had grown to 80–85 minims, making the equivalence unsuitable for medicinal dosage. Today's US teaspoon is equivalent to 4.92892159375 ml, which is also 1⁄6 US fluid ounces, 1+1⁄3 US fluid drams,Template:Rp or 80 US minims.Template:Rp

Pharmaceuticals are measured nowadays in metric units, but 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. The unit is used in the phrase dram shop, the U.S. legal term for an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages.

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". 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", "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."

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