The term "fluid dram" is a unit of volume measurement used in the field of pharmacy. It is spelled as two words, "fluid" and "dram", with the stress on the first syllable of "fluid". The IPA phonetic transcription for its pronunciation is /ˈfluːɪd dræm/. The "u" in "fluid" is pronounced as the long "oo" sound in "food", while the "a" in "dram" is pronounced as the short "a" sound in "cat". When used in prescriptions, it is commonly abbreviated as "fld. dr.", "ƒ 3 i.", or "flu.dr."
The term "fluid dram" is a unit of measurement that is predominantly used in the field of pharmacy or pharmacology. It is primarily utilized to quantify the volume of liquid medications or substances. The fluid dram is a unit within the apothecary system, which is an archaic system of measurement that has largely been supplanted by the metric system.
In the apothecary system, the fluid dram is equivalent to 60 minims or 1/8 fluid ounce. It is denoted by the symbol ʒ or fl dr and is often expressed as "drachm" in medical prescriptions. The fluid dram is equal to approximately 3.6967 milliliters or 0.125 US fluid ounces in the modern metric system or customary system of measurement, respectively.
The term "fluid" in fluid dram refers to the fact that it is used to measure the volume of fluids or liquids, as opposed to dry or solid substances. The term "dram" originates from the Greek word "drachme," which means "a handful." In ancient times, a dram was classically used as a measure of weight. However, in the context of the fluid dram, it is utilized to denote the volume of liquid substances.
In summary, the fluid dram is a unit of measurement primarily used in pharmacy or pharmacology to quantify the volume of liquid medications or substances. It is part of the apothecary system, denoted as ʒ or fl dr, and is equal to 60 minims or 1/8 fluid ounce.
The word "fluid dram" has its etymology rooted in the Ancient Greek and Latin languages.
First, the term "dram" originates from the Greek word "drakhmḗ" (δραχμή), which referred to a Greek silver coin. This term later transliterated into Latin as "drachma". In the medical field, the term "dram" was used to denote a unit of weight, being approximately equivalent to one-eighth of an ounce.
The word "fluid" comes from the Latin term "fluidus", which means "flowing" or "liquid". In the context of measurement, it signifies a substance that can flow or take the shape of its container.
Thus, the combination of "fluid" and "dram" in "fluid dram" indicates a unit of measurement for liquids or substances that can flow, with its roots in both Ancient Greek and Latin.