A unit of mass in the apothecaries' weight system in the English-speaking world, 18th – 20th century, = 20 grains = ¹⁄₃ drachm or dram, exactly 1.295 978 2 grams. In the United Kingdom, use of the scruple in trade ended on January 1, 1971.¹
The symbol for the scruple is ℈, which is very ancient, appearing in manuscripts of the Roman era. It is sometimes followed by an S, which stands for the Latin semis, half. So ℈ S is half a scruple.
1. Weights and Measures Act, 1963, a prohibition specifically reaffirmed in the Weights and Measures Acts of 1976 and 1985.
A unit of liquid capacity in British apothecaries' measure, about 1.184 milliliters.
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Last revised: 16 August 2001.