[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—There can be little doubt but that the decimal system bad its origin in the ten fingers of man. Had he six fingers on each band, no doubt a duodecimal system would be universal. The superior convenience of the latter probably led to the division of units of measure by twelve instead of ten. We thus obtained a circle of three hundred and sixty degrees, far more convenient than one of four hundred degrees. That we have in England all sorts of antiquated measures of bulk and weight is admitted ; reform in these matters is desirable ; but whether it should be on decimal or duodecimal lines is the question. Some years ago the decimal versus duodecimal question was hotly debated at the Institution of Civil Engineers, on which occasion Sir Frederick Bramwell very strongly opposed the proposal to make the decimal system compulsory. As a civil engineer I use both systems. I find the duodecimal the more convenient for general use, and I take it that for the innumerable commercial transactions of everyday life it lends itself more readily to rapid computation and mental arithmetic by the use of fractions than does the other system. The convenience of the great majority is more to be considered than that of a small minority. Some day, perhaps, we shall evolve a system of numbers having twelve instead of ten as a basis : this would be the ideal.—I am, Sir, &c., MEMINST.C.E. [We cannot print any more letters on this subject.—ED. Spectator.]
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