Measures: wineglassful.

Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 23:32:00 +0000
Sender: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants discussion list <HERB.TREARN.BITNET>
From: jonathan treasure <jtreasure.JONNO.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re Measures, wineglasses and so on

> I have been reading some older herbals that call for doses in "wineglassful". Soes anyone know how much this is? It would be helpful to be able to translate this to cups or ounces or milliliters.

Going back a bit on this thread I would like to point out that in Apothecaries fluid measures a Wineglass IS defined as 3-4 Tablespoons, (BTW a teacup is 8-10 tablespoons) These measures were given so people could measure medicine doses long before the days of 5ml teaspoons, capsules etc etc to ensure a dose of the appropriate magnitude

Of course a UK tablespoon is what you call a desertspoon stateside. To anticipate the next question, a tablespoon is defined as 180 drops or minims, 3 fluidrams, or ½ fluid oz.

Of course fluid ozs are different in USA.....

aaaghhhrrr gibber gibber

regards
jonathan

From: jonathan treasure <jtreasure.JONNO.DEMON.CO.UK>

> Is this why Penelope Ody, in *The Complete Medicinal Herbal* would say, on p. 120 that 5ml=1 teaspoon and 20 ml= 1 tablespoon? Does she mean a UK tablespoon? I think I remember you saying that a tsp.= 60 drops (therefore the 180 drop tablespoon). Or, is the table in the book an oversight? I wonder...

that's right. 4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon = 2 desertspoons
cookbooks are a REAL problem in trans/bi/atlantic kitchens
i favour converting everything to metric for cooking (one US cup =250mls)
but i rather prefer apothecaries measures for herbs - last vestiges of the empire i suppose some may say
but wineglass feels like a good measure to me.......
regards
jonathan