POUND, (1) an English weight of two dif ferent donominations, avoirdupois and troy. Since 1856 the legal original standard weight in Great Britain and her colonies has been the im perial pound avoirdupois, a cylindrical mass of platinum, grooved near the top and bearing the mark P. S. 1844 1 lb.' the two letters P. S. signifying °Parliamentary Standard.' The pound troy in Great Britain is defined as 5,760 grains and is divided into 12 ounces, being used almost entirely for weighing gold, silver and precious stones; the pound avoirdupois contains 7,000 grains, divided into 16 ounces, and is used for all ordinary commodities. The imperial stand ard troy pound constructed in 1758 was the only legal original standard weight between the years 1824 and 1856, but previous to these years cer tain weights, both troy and avoirdupois, had been the standards. These standards were not very accurately constructed, and through con stant use became worn, but the pound avoirdu pois probably contained as much as 7,002 of our present grains, while the pound troy weighed 5,759 grains. In the United States the British imperial pound avoirdupois has been copied to a great extent, but in theory the pound avoirdupois of Elizabeth is legal in this country. Edward III, from evidence in the official records, made the pound avoirdupois the standard, and Elizabeth probably copied her standard from his 56-pound weight, although standards had existed since 1497. The troy pound derives its name from the city of Troyes, where it was used as the standard of weight in the fairs held in that city. In 1497 it was made the legal weight for gold and silver and some authorities claim it was also used for bread, being known as the aold commercial weight of England," and containing 7,600 grains. This
troy pound displaced the monetary pound which had been in use from the nines of the Saxons, and which contained 3,400 or 5,420 grains and was divided into 12 ounces or 20 shillings. At about the same time the merchant's pound con taining 6,775 grains, divided into 15 ounces, came into considerable use. The apothecaries' pound is now obsolete. (2) Pound is also the highest monetary denomination used in British accounts, being equivalent to 20 shillings or 240 pence, and originally to a pound weight of silver (or of the alloy used). The pound (i) weighs 123.274 grains and contains 113.001 grains of fine gold. In the use of pound as designating money, the epithet sterling is gen erally affixed to discriminate from the pound weight. (See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES). (3) In law, an enclosed space for keeping cattle which have strayed on another man's ground, until they. are replevined or redeemed. When cattle are put into pound it falls to the person impounding them to feed them, but he is en titled to charge the owner of the cattle the cost of keeping them in settling with 'him for the amount of damages to be paid. In England, an attempt to release from a pound cattle lawfully impounded is punishable by a fine. In Scotland the seizing of stray cattle and keeping them till damages are paid is called poinding of cattle.