# Decigrams to Scruples (dg to s ap) Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/decigrams-to-scruples/ **1 dg = 0.077161791764707 s ap** One decigram equals approximately 0.07716 scruples. The scruple (about 1.296 grams or 12.96 decigrams) was an apothecary weight unit used for compounding prescriptions until the 20th century. Both the decigram and the scruple occupy the small-mass domain, but the scruple carried medical authority while the decigram never achieved relevance in any profession. ## Formula Apply the conversion factor ## Conversion Table | Decigrams (dg) | Scruples (s ap) | |---|---| | 1 dg | 0.077161791764707 s ap | | 2 dg | 0.15432358352941 s ap | | 5 dg | 0.38580895882354 s ap | | 10 dg | 0.77161791764707 s ap | | 25 dg | 1.9290447941177 s ap | | 50 dg | 3.8580895882354 s ap | | 100 dg | 7.7161791764707 s ap | | 250 dg | 19.290447941177 s ap | | 500 dg | 38.580895882354 s ap | | 1000 dg | 77.161791764707 s ap | | 5000 dg | 385.80895882354 s ap | | 10000 dg | 771.61791764707 s ap | | 50000 dg | 3858.0895882354 s ap | ## Units ### Decigram (dg) A decigram is one tenth of a gram. A metric unit used in some educational and scientific contexts. ### Scruple (s ap) An apothecary scruple equals 20 grains or 1/3 of a dram apothecary (1.2959782 grams). A historical pharmaceutical unit largely replaced by metric measurements. ## Background An old-fashioned prescription for 'half a scruple of belladonna' meant about 648 milligrams (6.48 decigrams) of a dangerous nightshade extract. Such prescriptions required extreme precision. Today, both units have been replaced by the milligram in pharmacy, but historical medical records occasionally require conversion between these abandoned measurement systems. ## Good to Know The scruple's dual identity as both a weight unit and a moral concept made it uniquely resonant in English. When Shakespeare's characters speak of having 'no scruple,' the audience understood both the ethical and the physical smallness implied. No other measurement unit has achieved this literary depth, and none is likely to - the milligram, for all its utility, will never inspire a soliloquy. ## FAQ ### How many decigrams are in one scruple? One scruple equals approximately 12.96 decigrams. This comes from 1 scruple = 1.296 grams and 1 gram = 10 decigrams. ### Is the scruple still used in modern pharmacy? No. All modern pharmacy uses metric units exclusively. The scruple was officially abandoned in the mid-20th century. It survives only in historical pharmaceutical texts and as a common English word meaning a moral hesitation. ### Where does the moral meaning of 'scruple' come from? Both meanings derive from Latin 'scrupulus' - a small sharp stone. Romans used tiny stones as balance weights (the measurement scruple) and compared the feeling of moral doubt to a pebble irritating your foot (the moral scruple). ## Non-Frequently Asked Questions ### Could a scrupulous pharmacist have scruples about scruples? Absolutely. A 'scrupulous' pharmacist (meaning careful and principled) might have 'scruples' (moral hesitations) about using 'scruples' (the weight unit) if they believed metric measurements were safer for patients. This triple meaning makes the scruple perhaps the most philosophically loaded unit in measurement history. ### Was pharmacy safer before or after abandoning scruples? Significantly safer after. The coexistence of avoirdupois drams, apothecary drams, and scruples - all with different values - caused dosing errors that sometimes killed patients. Switching to milligrams eliminated this confusion. The scruple's retirement was a public health achievement disguised as a measurement change. ### If scruples measured morality, how many decigrams of ethics would a good person have? One scruple of morality equals about 12.96 decigrams of ethics, by this fanciful accounting. A person of 'great scruples' might have several scruples worth - say 50 decigrams of conscience. The metaphor breaks down quickly, but it does suggest that moral weight, like physical weight, comes in measurable quantities that the ancient Romans took quite seriously. ## Related Articles - [Why We Measure: The Deepest Urge in Human Civilisation](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-we-measure) - [The Map Is Not the Territory: Why Every Measurement Is Wrong](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-map-is-not-the-territory) - [Zero: The Most Dangerous Number in Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/zero-the-most-dangerous-number-in-measurement) - [The Kilogram Problem: The Object That Was Its Own Definition](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-kilogram-problem) - [The Body as a Ruler: Every Measurement Unit That Came From Us](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-body-as-a-ruler) - [Why Your Recipe Is Lying to You: The Chaos of Cooking Measurements](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-recipe-measurements-are-unreliable) - [15 Obscure Measurement Units You've Never Heard Of (But Still Need)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/obscure-measurement-units-guide) - [When Measurements Go Wrong - Disasters, Blunders and Happy Accidents](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/when-measurements-go-wrong) - [The Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Units of Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/stories-behind-measurement-units) - [Metric vs. Imperial - The Complete Guide to the World's Two Measurement Systems](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/metric-vs-imperial-complete-guide) - [Understanding Weight Units - Kilograms, Pounds, Stones & Ounces](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/understanding-weight-units) - [Complete Baking Measurement Guide - Cups, Grams, Ounces](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/baking-measurement-guide) ## See Also - [Scruples to Decigrams](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/scruples-to-decigrams/)