Units of Household Liquid Measures for Medications

 

Unit	Number of Drops	Other
drop (gtt)	1
teaspoonful	60	one third tablespoon, 1.33 fluiddrams, 80 minims
tablespoonful	180	3 teaspoonful or 4 fluidrams
ounce	360	6 teaspoonful, 2 tablespoonful, 8 fluiddram
teacupful	1,440	4 ounces, or 8 tablespoonful
glassful	2,880	8 ounces, or 1 cup

 

where:

• 1 drop apparently is about 1.33 minims. If this is true, then 1 mL is 12.2 drops.

• According to Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, a tablespoon is 4 fluiddrams or 15 mL. If 12.2 drops equals 1 mL, then 180 drops would be 14.75 mL.

 

Trying to make sense of household measures appears to revolve around the definition of the teaspoon and drop. On the one hand, the teaspoon is said to be about a fluiddram and about 4 mL. On the other hand, a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons or 4 fluidrams or 15 mL. For things to make sense, a drop has to be about 1.33 minims.

 

Limitations:

• Standard spoons from the kitchen may not be accurate. A measuring spoon should be used.

• The size of a drop depends on a number of factors such as how fast it is falling, the fluid, the dropper, etc.