I would like to request information on the origins of the word "litre", a
unit for volume.
I got the story on Claude Emile Jean-Baptiste Litre (1716-1778) from some
newsletter, photocopied by a friend and given to me many years ago; the two
page article being written by K A Woolner, Dept of Physics University of
Waterloo, Waterloo ON, N2L 3G1, Canada, and was taken from "Chem 13 News,
No. 95, April 1978". I cannot check upon these sources.
The editor noted that "in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the death
of this great investigator, the Conference General des Poids et Mesures has
decided to use his name for the SI unit of volume", and "Ken Woolner tells
us that the details of Litre's life are very hard to establish, and most of
this account was inferred from the general literature of the period.
Apparently Litre did not keep a journal, the correspondence with Celsius
has been lost, and of course chemical glassware dose not last, so there are
no extant examples of Litre's skill. Perhaps our readers can help to flesh
out this sketch".
From the Secretary of the History of Physics Group, Institute of Physics
(UK), and of the Science Museum, London, Mr. Neil Brown, I got information
that the above story might be fiction ("I can find no support for the story
that the unit of volume is named after a Mr. Litre: It seems to be an
amusing fiction"); or would you think it is a hoax or joke?
Hopefully someone could enlighten me on this matter.
Sincerely,
A Rusli
Dr. A Rusli, CPhys MInstP
Physics Department
Institut Teknologi Bandung
Ganesa 10, Bandung 40132
Indonesia
tel 62 22 250 0834, (home) 250 3816
fax 62 22 250 6452
e-mail arusli@bandung.wasantara.net.id,
dr.rusli@physics.org,
Parahyangan Catholic University
Dean, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Ciumbuleuit 94, Bandung 40141
Indonesia
fax 62 22 231 110
e-mail arusli@home.unpar.ac.id