Mathematical Treasure: Henry Rutter’s Metric System of Weights and Measures

After the metric system was introduced in France during its Revolution, other European countries considered its adoption. Among these was Great Britain. Henry Rutter (1755–1838), an agent of the Commercial Bank of India, Hong Kong, wrote about many banking and economic issues of the time. In 1866, he published The Metric System of Weights and Measures, discussing the merits and disadvantages of the British Empire becoming metric. Rutter is often confused with a contemporary British Catholic priest of the same name who lived at the same approximate period.

The introductory pages provide a background for the coming exposition. Although the adoption of the metric system was officially discussed in England at this time, it was not formally adopted until 1965 and has still not been fully implemented.

A full digitization of its copy is available from Wellcome Library.

Index to Mathematical Treasures