IX. Notices Respecting New Books

Philosophical Magazine Series 1

ISSN: 1941-5796 (Print) 1941-580x (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tphm12

IX. Notices respecting new books

To cite this article: (1818) IX. Notices respecting new books , Philosophical Magazine Series 1, 52:243, 58-61, DOI: 10.1080/14786441808652004

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786441808652004

Published online: 23 Jul 2009.

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Download by: [University of Cambridge] Date: 02 June 2016, At: 00:27 58 lgotlces respeaing New Books. produces the effect, that when it is combined with any body it continually tends to elevate it, and in this way overcome that force (gravitation) which retains it, and would precipitate it to- wards the earth." I am, I repeat, the more anxious to establish this view, be- cause I am convinced it aftbrds the only satisfactory explanation of the operations and phzenomena of nature and art. It is ne- cessary to prove this, and first by an examination of Galvanism. Colliergate, York, July I 5, 1818. [To be continued.]

IX. ~Volicesrespecting New Books. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London,for the Ybar 1818. Part I. Tnx Transactions of the Royal Society since the commencement of the present year have been distinguished by several papers of great novelty and importance. The original and valuable experiments of Captain Kater on the pendulum, for which' the Copleian medal was adjudged to him, are at the present momenl~ particularly deserving general attention. We regret that the late period of the month at which this part of the Society's Transactions has appeared, obliges us to postpone till our next number, laying the particulars of these experiments before oar readers. The following passage will show the general principle on which they have proceeded ; ~ Not feeling at all satisfied with the prospect which the use of a rod presented, I endeavoured to discover some property of the pendulum of'which I might avail myself with greater pro- babi!ity of success; and I was so fortunate as to perceive on% which promised an unexceptionable result. It is known that the centres of suspension and oscillation are reciprocal ; or, in other words, that if a body be suspended by its centre of oscillation, its former point of suspension becomes the centre of oseilo Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:27 02 June 2016 lation, and the vibrations in both positions will be performed in equal times. No% the distance of the centre of oscillation from the point of suspension depending on thefgure of the body em- ployed, if the arrangement of its particles be changed, the place of the centre of oscillation will also suffer a cimnge. Suppose then a body to be furnished with a point of suspension~ and another point on which it may vibrate, to be fixed as nearly as can be estimated in the centre of oscillation, and in a line with the point of suspension and centre of gravity. If the vibrations in each position should not be equal in ec~ual times~ they may reudily IVotlces respecting New Books. 59 readily be m~e so, by shifting a moveable weight, with which the body is to be furnished, in a line between the centres of suspension and oscillation; when the distanee between the two points about which the vibrations were performed being mea- sured, the length of a simple pendulum, and the time of its vi- bration, will at once be known, uninfluenced by any irregularity of density or figure." The following, including this paper of Capt. Kater's, are the contents of the present part of the Transactions : " I. On the great Strength given to Ships of War by theAp- plieation of Diagonal Braces. By Robert Seppings, Esq. F.R.S. --II. A Memoir on the Geography of the North-eastern Part of Asia, and on the Question whether Asia and America are con- tiguous, or are separated by the Sea. By Captain James Bur- ney, F.R.S.--III. Additional Facts respecting the fossil Remains of an Animal, on the Subject of which two Papers have been printed in the Philosophical Transactions, showing that the Bones of the Sternum resemble those of the Omithorhvnehus paradoxus. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. V.P.R.S.m IV. An Account of Experiments for determining the Length of the Pen- dulum vibrating Seconds in the Latitude of London. By Capt. Henry Kater, F.R.S.--V. On the Length of the French M~tre estimated in Parts of the English Standard. By Captain Henry Kater, F.R.S.--VI. A few Facts relative to the colouring Mat° ters of some Vegetables. By James Smithson, Esq. F.R.S.-- VII. An Account of Experiments made on the Strength of Ma- terials. By George Rennie jun. Esq. Ia a Letter to Thomas Young, M.D. For. See. R.S.~VIII. On the Office of the Heart Wood of Trees. By T. A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S. In a Letter addressed to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. G.C.B. P.R.S.~IX. On circulating Functions, and on the Integration of a Class of Equations of finite Differences into which they en- ter as Coefficients. By John F. W. Herschel, Esq. F.R.S.m X. On the Fallacy of the Experiments in which Water is said to have been formed by the Decomposition of Chlorine. By Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:27 02 June 2016 Sir H. Davy, LL.D.F.R.S.~XI. The Croonian Lecture. On the Changes the Blood undergoes in the Act of Coagulation. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. V.P.R.S. ~ XII. Some Additions to the Croonian Lecture, on the Changes the Bli~od undergoes in the Act of Coagulation. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. V.P.R.S. ~XIII. On the Laws of Polarisation and double Refraction in regularly crystallized Bodies. By David Brewster, LL.D.F.R.S. Lond. and Edin. In a Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks~ Bart. G.C.B.P.R,S."

TraT~acliom 60 IVotlces respecting New Bools. Transactions of the Royal Society~ of Edinburgh. Part Ii, Voh VI ;I. Th~ Part of this Society's Transactions now published con~- taias the following iatere~ting articles : "On the Effects of Cou~pres~ion and Dilatation in altering- tlle polarising Strueture of doubly refracting Crystals. By Da- vid Brewster, LL.D.F.R.S. London and Edinburgh.w Exper~- ~nents on Muriatie Acid Gas, with Observations on its chemical Constitution, and on some other Subjects of chemical Theory. ]By J,~hv. Murray, M.D.F.R.S. Ed;.nburgh,~ Exp'erime~ts on the Relation between the Mmiatie Aeid and Chlorine ; to which is subjoined~ the Description of a new Instrument for the A~aa- lysis of Gases by Explosion. By Andrew Ure, M.D. Professor of the A~:der~onlan Institution and Member of the Geological ~oeiety.~On the Laws which regulate the Distribution of' th~ polarising Force in Plates, Tubes, and C~l~nders of Gla~ th~.t have received t~ae polarisin~ Structure, By David B~ews~er., LL,D. F.R.S. London and Edinburgh.~Remarks illustrative of the Scope and hd~uenee of the philosophical Writings of Lord ~aeon. Bv Maevev Napier~ Esq. F.R,S. London and Edin- b~rgh, and" F.A.S. Edinburgh.~Sketeh of the Geology of the Environs of Nice. By Thomas Allan, Esq. F.R.S. Edinburgh. wOn certain Impress{ons of Cold transmitted fi'om the Atma- sphere, with the Description of an Instrument adapted to mea- sure them. By John Leslie, F.R.S. Edinburgh, and Professor of" Mathematics in the Univel'~,ity of Edinburgh.--A Method of determining the Time with Accuracy, from a Series of Altitude~ of the Sun, taken on the same Sid.e of the Meridian. By Major- general Sir Thomas Brisbane, Knight, F.R.S. Edinburgh.~Ob- ~er~'ations on the Junction of the Fresh Water of Rivers with the Salt Water of the Sea. By the Roy. John Fleming, D,D, F.R.S. Edinburgh.~Memoir of the Life and Writings of the Honourabl~ Alexander Fraser Tytlar, Lord Woodhouselee. By the Roy, Archibald Allison, LL.D.F.R.S. London ~nd Edinburgh."

Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:27 02 June 2016 ,Elements of Chemical Science as applied lo the ~4rts anct 31amtfactures and Natural phcenon~ena, By J. MUItR,'~Y. pp. 294. The work before us aims at no other praise than what we may ~afely a~eord it, that ofexhiblting a lucid and comprehensive view of the principles of chemistry. The dlffieulties which stand i~a the way of any systematic arrangemen~ of chemieal ph~enomena are many and formidable ;, but Mr. Mnrrav has nevertheless sue- eeeded in forming a disposition of materials~ whieh, distinguished !w a good deal of novelty~ conveys a very clear idea of the ua- • tur~ Notices respecting ~ew ,~ooks. ~I tnre and properties of the subjects treated. The system of arrangement the author has adopted is founded on eleetrieal af- feetions, and is eonsequently well ealeulated to faeilitate the study of eteetro-ehemieal science. The work in this point of view is particularly deserving the a~tention of the chemicaI stu- dent, and is altogether a production which does much credit to the well-knowu ingenuity and research of its it~defatigable author. ~femoirs of the Life and l~-itin~s of BI~NJAMtN FRA~KLI~¢~ LL.D.F.R.S. ~c. 'Written lTy himself to a late Period; and continued to the Time ~f hi~ Death by his Grandso~t WI~LIA~ TEMPLX Fmt~XLi~. Vol. III. 4to. pp. 570. 1818. The present volume, which is the last of a very valuable and important work, comprehends the select political, philosophical and miscellaneous writiugs of Franklin. Some of the essaw contained in the philosophical branch have already appeared ; bu~ byfar the greater portion of it, ineluding several of the latest a,d most ingenious of the Doctor's writings, are stated to be now for the first time printed fi'om his own manuscripts.

Mr. W. Westall, who accompanied Captain Flindees on his voyage round the workl, has lately executed a work, eonsisth~g of a variety of Views of the Caves in the North-west Riding of Yorkshire, with some of the most interesting scenes in their neighbourhood, particularly Malham Cove and Gordale Sear. They are not only highly picturesque, but appear to be geo- logically eorreet representations of some of the most extraor- dinary scenes in this country; and it is a strange eireumstane% that no work upon the same subject has before appeared, as the eaves have for some years past attracted a great mmly visitors.

An Essay, which Dr. Jos. de Matthzeis read in the Arehmo- logical Society at Rome, on the 29th of Feb. 181S, has no~r been published under the title of Sull' orlgine de numeri Romani.

Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:27 02 June 2016 The author attempts to prove that the Roman numerals, as well as the ancient Etruscan, originated in the nails which these na- tions, in the earlier periods of their history, caused to have an- nually fixed by their magistrates, for other than chronological purposes, in the T~mple of Jupiter, and in that of Nurtia, their Goddess of Fortune, at Vulsiuium (Bolsena).

Just published, A Guide to Botany ; or A familar lllustratloa of the Linu~ean Classification of Plants ; with eoloured Plates. By James Mitlar, M.D. Editor of the Encyclopaedia Ediuensi~ and of the 4th Editi',~n of the Encyclopaedia Bi'itannica.