Page:Scientific American - Series 1 - Volume 008 - Issue 29.pdf/5

 Scientific amttictlu NEW-YORK. A PRIL 2, 1853. The Credulous and Incrednlons Respeeting Inventions.

When any ot your feather literati writes about the opposition which had been made to certain - inventions (when they were first brought out) which have become famous, and of such great value to the world, they are sure to mark the opponents of them as having been men of scientific reputation, such as Dr. Lardner and his alleged opposition to Atlantic navigation. Now it is not true that men of real scientific reputation have in general been the opponents of new inventions, but the very reverse. The most incredulous an d yet most credulous of men respecting new unites far distant lands by a few days' ocean discoveries and inventions, are your light li- journey. The quantity of coal consumed ' to terati, your would-be great men in all things. move a machine may then be considered the These are the men who are always at the ear exponent of power to propel machinery. The of the public, and who both ridicule and power of a certain quantity of coal must be extol useful, and worthless new projects, definite-it cannot have the property of de without either rule or reason. And it always veloping infinite force, because the heat which happens when an invention o r a discovery is developed by the combustion of a certain which they had denounced turns out in spite quantity of coal is definite. By no plan hut of all opposition to be a grand and useful im- the hocus - pocus ot humbug (excuse the term, provement, they are sure to turn round, span- we would not use it only it is the best for the gle it with praise and bear false witness purpose) can it produce but a certain quantity of against scientific men. When corrected for motion-mechanical power. There are men, making erroneous statements they have no t however, who pretend to know something the honesty to publish the truth, consequently about science and logic-but they never sure their falsehoods go on among community like ly studied philosophy nor consulted reason rolling snow-balls, increasing in the magni- who have asserted that a certain quantity of tude of their evil according to the space over heat once developed by the combustion of a which they travel. When any new project certain amount of oal, will produce an infi which they had lauded to the skies, turns out nite quantity of motion. They say, " heat to be a worthless, useless, piece of trash, or produces motion, and when a certain quantity has been proven to be a d eception, they of it is d eveloped in steam and then conden are the very men who happened to see sed, it is ann'ihilated and lost, but the heat of through it all from the very first-they were hot air is given out, taken up by wire gauze, the true prophets, and some scientific men given out again, and so on, never lost, but go were the deceivers or deceived. When they ing on producing an infinite amount of force . ' make false statements about inventions a n d inventors, thereby doing great injury sometimes to the fame ot honest men, they have : not candor e to, !;�rre<:t t4uJ!il8l ves f. fear the public would be led to doubt their sagacity and veracity. Those who examine beneath the surface of society, kno w how to estimate such characters, they look upon them as the moths of literature. With respect to a new invention-its usefulness and practicability, or not-an opposing Their principle of logic m a y be thus defined mathematically. a x b=c-b=ax b=2c-b= a X b=3c, &c., a is a certain amount of heat, b.

and worship it, and pot only speak lightly of the services of such a faithful old servant as steam, but d eny their value. We were amused in reading in one of our daily papers last week, a slap-dash article on steam and caloric in which the editor writes the epitaph of the Jormer and the prologue to the reign of the latter. The caloric of the said paper was nothing more nor less than hot air -heat and air combined, and no more caloric in reality than steam is. The power of steam is developed by a che mical action, viz ., simple combustion, hence we cannot obtain power from a steam engine without burning iuel. It is this application of chemical force to move machinery, which has changed the whole face of society, in respect to commerce, travel and mannufacture during the last century. It is this action which now

Scitutific

229-' ment was most judicious and highly compli tion. Our position is, and w e hope always mentary to Mr. Fillmore's judgment. We will be above the in fl uence of place and pow predict for Mr. Mason, also, a popular career. er, and we intend that the public shall not suffer by our a.pplause ot objects doubtful in The Crystal Palace. their character. The attention of our readers is Farticular The Association did " not authorize " the ly directed to the following correspondence publication of our remarks ; well really this is between Messrs. Wood, Light, & Co., manu quite cool, we are happy to inform the publit; facturers ot machinery, Worcester, Mass., and that the Scientific American is not the official the managers of the Crystal Palace : organ of the company, we are the organ for " WORC ESTER, 21st March, 1853. the people-the exhibitors-in whose welfare To the Association for the Exhibition of we feel much interest. the Industry of all Nations, No. 53 Broadway, New York City : Events o f the Week. GENTLEMEN .-We observe this morning an article in the " Scientific American," headed " The Crystal Palace," the perusal of which has led us to the following conclusions, viz ., that if the article referred to be true, we do not consider ourselve.s bound to forward for exhibItion the machine we intended for that purpose, it being so e ntirely different from what was represented to us by your agent when he visited our works. We remain

out clearly the reasoning of the hot air philo sophers, who assert that a definite amount of heat can produce an infinite amount of motion -any number of strokes of an engine by multiplying and subtracting the same quantities of heat and air to and from one another alter candid opinion with reasons annexed, should nately. Heat produces great changes ; it causes bo always be esteemed of more value than indiscriminate praise. At the present day, w hen dies to move with great rapidity, but cold is men of all characters rush out with alleged as much the source of such a power as heat, new discoveries and inventions, unive rsal it produces as great changes. If the earth, laudation of everything is the greatest evil sea, and air, and the whole universe were of that can be inflicted on community. Candid one temperature there would be no motion. opposition and prudent praise, respecting what is apparently bad, and what is reasonably good, are the qualities which we like to see displayed in any m an, and these qualities of character are always exhibited b y those who are competent judges of new i nventions ap.d discoveries-those whe have devoted their time and attention to such matters.-

an engine.

Ii .ce.rtaiD. mount

The above is absurd, and points

of air, uukc the stroke of

H is the exhaustion ofthe hot steam and hot air into a colder medium, which makes their res pective engines move ; they could not exhaust into mediums of the same temperature. How absurd then, to talk of heat being the cause of all motion in machinery. It requires both heat and cold to produce motion (by chemical forces) in machinery. Heat heaves up rocks from the depths of burning craters ; cold splits rocks to pieces, and bursts hollow balls of iron into fragments. The currents of the ocean, and the whirlwinds in their wrath are not produced by heat alone, but heat and cold, they are the effects ot combined causes. These principles of mechanical philosophy as set forth, we hold to be incontrovertible ; there is a philosophy falsely so called which

Why 1 because their reputation in respect to the opinions they ad vance on such subj ects is at stake ; they, of necessity have to be honest, cautious, and discriminating ; if not, sooner or later, they will be the losers. In these days ot false l ights and false pressures, the public should be exceedingly cautious of those wh o express opinions about new inventions and

discoveries lest t hey be deceived by credulity in bad projects, and incredulity in go od ones. ==::>c::::

The Power ot' Heat and Cold.

It has often surprised us to see what an amount of clap-trap and deception there is in a name. For a great number of years heat Commissioner of Patents. had been employed in combination with wa ter to form-a useful agent-steam, which The Hon. Charles Mason, ot Iowa, a brother for a long time had driven our engines, looms, of Sepator Mason, of Virginia, has been ap. steamships, and locomotives, and has done pointed and confirmed Commissioner of Pa good service, but then it was nothing but tents. steamf a plain old fashioned name. Well all Mr. Mason is understood to possess high le at once there has arisen a great rival in fame gal qualifications, and it is confidently expect to it, which has been called caloric (in com ed that his administration of the affairs of the mon language heat) which no sooner has Office will prove highly satisfactory to the made its appearance nder such a cognomen, whole country. It gives us much pleasure to than straightway the whole race of light l i bear testimony to the ability and courtesy of terati-the lovers of long names, fall down Mr. Hodges, the late incumbent. His appoint-

forth the condeIl).nation of all high - minded men ; why had not these gentlemen a right to enquire into a matter in which they were inte rested, and why should they not have been treated with common civility 1 The public has recently been propagated in this and oth must and will doubt the motive which er cities, and which we have endeavored to prompts an associa tion to acts so small and controvert, because we believe that the pro contemptible. mulgation of any error in science and art hin The motives attributed to us in the post ders the progress of truth and retards the script are simply false and ridiculous, and march of discovery. would not elicit any remarks did w e not

VALUATION OF INDlG o .-As a great deal o f indigo i s used for dyeing i n our country, and as the imported kinds ( B engal and Guatema la) are very high in price, a method of esti mating the comparative value of different samples, must be v<)ry acceptable. The fol lowing is a method for estimating the same proposed by Dr. Penny, the eminent chemist in Glasgow : T e n grains o f the sample very finely pow dered are carefully rubbed with 2 measured most respectfully yours very truly, drachms of fuming sulphuric acid, and the WOOD, LIGHT, & CO. mixture allowed to digest 12 to 14 hours with [ANSWER] Association for the Exhibition of the In occasional stirring, the air being excluded. dustry of all Na.tions, Office No. 53 Broadway, A small flat bottomed flask, with a tight cork answers best for this operation. Some frag New York, 22 March, 1853 : MESSRS. WOOD, LIGHT, & Co., Worcester, ments of broken glass should be added to pre GENTLEMEN.-In answer to your letter of vent the indigo trom clotting. ' The temperature should be from 700 to 800 yesterday, I enclose you your application for Fah., if it rises higher sulphurous acid may space, which is considered as withdrawn. The Committee was disposed to conside r it as be generated and the whole operation render favorable as possible but in view of the very ed worthless. When the indigo is perfectly hasty conclusion at which you have arrived dissol ved the solution is gradually poured (constantly stirring) into a basm containing they have no reluctance in assigning th " space relinquished by you to some other of a pint of water ; by measure t of an ounce of the many worthy applicants who would oth hydrochloric acid is instantly added. An al erwise have been excluded. I have the ho cimetre of 100 equal parts is made up with 7!! grains of pure dry bichromate of potassa dis nor to he your very obedient servant, solved in it, and this is gradually adde d to the WM. WHETTEN, Sec . P. S.-Mr. Joseph E. Holmes, who called indigo in the basin, until a drop of the mix upon you, desires to express his surprise that ture, let fall upon a slip of filter paper pre you should have paid so much attention to a sents a light brown o r ochre shade, without publication not only not authorized by the as any mixture of blue or green. The number sociation but in manifest hostility to it, and of measures of bichromate solution used, is grQ.wilJAl: out of a sentiment of personal re then read off, and this shows the comparative sentment, the source of which was marle pub value of the samp1e: In applYIng the test drop to the paper, the best results are obtain lic some months since." ed by bringing the end of a glass rod in con LThe above correspondence between Messrs. tact with the indigo solution, and . then gently Wood, Light, & Co., and the Crystal Palace pressing it against the surface of the paper. Association resulted, as most of our readers It is advisable t@ keep the indigo solution will understand, from an article which ap gently warmed while the bichromate is being peared in number 27, headed " The Crystal added, and the mixture should be well stirred Palace," wherein we commented upon the in after each addition. Towards the conclusioR justice of compelling exhibitors to pay for ad the bichromate should be added very slowly mission, which we learned it was their inten and carefully, as one or two drops then pro tion to do. duce a great effect. The changes of color in The letter of the Association if construed the mixture clearly mdi cate the advance of the strictly in accordance with the language held operation. The original blue color of the sul forth, tully confirms the impression expressed, phate of Indigo becomes lighter and lighter, to in our article, because the firm did not wish then acquires a greenish shade, then greenish be considered as bound to forward a machine brown, and almost immediately after an providing they were to be charged for admis ochre brown. Ten grains of pure indigo re s!bn to the Palace, and without hesitancy quire nearly 7 grains of bichromate of potash. their application for space is returned to them, F o r dyers and color-makers in print works, thus virtually acknowledging that the charge the above mode of testing good indigo (we would be made. have not tried it) by Dr. Penny, if correct, is If, however, such is not their intention, invaluable, at the same time we can say, that then we say that the treatment of Messrs. long expepience enables a good practical che Wood, Light, & Co., is beneath ,the dignity mist to judge very closely ot the quality of which ought to characterize the management of so important an enterprize, and must draw indigo by the eye.

Patent Law C ase�.-8ewing Machine.

March 21 st, in a suit at equity, plaintiff, Elias Howe, Jr., defendants, John Woolredge et aI, the court granted a preliminary injunction against the use, sale, and manufacture of " Sin ger's Sewing Machines,)) and the �defendants were required to give bonds to account tor the use of the machines in case of a verdict for the plaintiff in the future trial at law.

In the U. S. Circuit Court, Boston, Monday

Gall. o n Horses. wish to still further illustrate the spirit w hich In France it is the practice when horses pervades the management. We have repeat edly asserted that we hoped the exhibition get their hair rubbed off, or the skin scarifie d, would prove successful ; we have no other to apply a blister to t h e part a t once. This, wish at heart and never had after it was fully if applied as soon as the injluy is done, will it is said, restore tle growth of hair ; it has settled th at it was to take place. We intended from the fi.st and stIll intend never been known to fail when applied in to keep an eye upon the manner in which it time. [The above is from the " Spirit of the is to be conducted, and we are bound as inde pendent journalists to express our disapproba. Times.)) We have been informed that a poul tion of all attempts to disregard the rights tice of honey and ley made from woodashes and interests of contributors, who alone are is the best 'substance for restoring the able to render it an affair creditable to the na- it looks more rational than applying a bli


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