# Scruples to Centigrams (s ap to cg)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/scruples-to-centigrams/

**1 s ap = 129.59782 cg**

One scruple equals approximately 129.6 centigrams. Both units share a heritage in pharmaceutical measurement: the scruple from the apothecary tradition and the centigram from the early metric system. This conversion was historically relevant during the transition period when European pharmacy shifted from apothecary weights to metric notation.

## Formula

Apply the conversion factor

## Conversion Table

| Scruples (s ap) | Centigrams (cg) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 s ap | 12.959782 cg |
| 0.5 s ap | 64.79891 cg |
| 1 s ap | 129.59782 cg |
| 3 s ap | 388.79346 cg |
| 5 s ap | 647.9891 cg |
| 10 s ap | 1295.9782 cg |
| 20 s ap | 2591.9564 cg |
| 24 s ap | 3110.34768 cg |
| 50 s ap | 6479.891 cg |
| 100 s ap | 12959.782 cg |
| 200 s ap | 25919.564 cg |
| 288 s ap | 37324.17216 cg |
| 500 s ap | 64798.91 cg |
| 1000 s ap | 129597.82 cg |

## Units

### 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.

### Centigram (cg)

A centigram is one hundredth of a gram. It is a metric unit rarely used in everyday life but appears in some scientific and educational contexts.

## Background

French and German pharmacopeias from the 19th century provide parallel measurements in both apothecary and metric units, requiring conversions between scruples and centigrams. Pharmaceutical historians transcribing these transitional-era formularies encounter both units on the same page. The conversion allows modern researchers to verify that historical dosage records are consistent across the two notation systems.

## Good to Know

The scruple-to-centigram transition marked one of pharmacy's great generational divides. Older pharmacists trained in the apothecary system resisted the change, while younger ones educated in metric units embraced it. The period of dual notation, where both systems appeared on prescription labels simultaneously, lasted from roughly 1850 to 1920 in most Western countries, creating the bilingual pharmaceutical records that historians study today.

## FAQ

### How many centigrams are in one scruple?

One scruple equals approximately 129.6 centigrams. This comes from the scruple's mass of 1.296 grams multiplied by 100 centigrams per gram.

### When was this conversion historically important?

During the 19th century, as European countries transitioned from apothecary to metric weights, pharmacists needed to convert between scruples and centigrams to maintain dosage consistency. This period lasted several decades in most countries.

### How do I convert scruples to centigrams?

Multiply scruples by 129.6. For example, 2 scruples equals about 259.2 centigrams. For reverse conversion, divide centigrams by 129.6.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### Were pharmacists excited or annoyed when they had to switch from scruples to centigrams?

Historical evidence suggests mostly annoyance. Pharmacists had invested years mastering the apothecary system and owned expensive sets of scruple weights. Being told to switch to centigrams meant retraining, purchasing new equipment, and repricing every formulation in stock. Progress is not always popular with the people required to implement it.

### Is the scruple-to-centigram conversion the most niche conversion on this website?

It is a serious contender. Two obsolete pharmaceutical units meeting across a systems boundary produces a conversion used by approximately zero people daily in the modern world. Its audience consists entirely of pharmaceutical historians and very thorough unit-conversion website designers.

### If both units are obsolete, why does this conversion exist?

Because historical records do not become irrelevant just because the units they use fall out of fashion. Thousands of 19th-century pharmacy records, poison case studies, and medical journals contain dosages in scruples that modern researchers need to interpret. The centigram provides one bridge to modern understanding, even if milligrams are the more common destination.

## 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

- [Centigrams to Scruples](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/centigrams-to-scruples/)