THE

AMERICAN LIBRARY

=

OF

USEFUL KNOWLEDGE.

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF

The Boston Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.

VOL. IV.

CONTAINING

DR. LARDNER'S TREATISE

ON

HYDROSTATICS AND PNEUMATICS,

WITH NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR;

AND THE SECOND PART OF

LORD CHANCELLOR BROUGHAM'S ACCOUNT

OF

LORD BACON'S NOVUM ORGANON.

Boston:

PUBLISHED BY STIMPSON AND CLAPP.

SOLD ALSO BY

ELAM BLISS, NEW YORK; CAREY AND HART, U. HUNT, T. DESILVER, Jun.,
J. G. AUNER, AND AT PORTER'S LITERARY ROOMS, PHILADELPHIA;
E. J. COAL, W. AND J. NEAL, AND F. LUCAS, Jun., BALTIMORE;
THOMPSON AND HOMANS, WASHINGTON; LITTLE AND

TREATISE

ON

HYDROSTATICS

AND

PNEUMATICS.

BY THE

REV. DIONYSIUS LARDNER, LL.D., F.R.S.

First American, from the First London Edition.

WITH NOTES.

BY

BENJAMIN F. JOSLIN, M. D.

PROFESSOR OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY IN UNION COLLEGE.

Boston:

PUBLISHED BY STIMPSON AND CLAPP.

1832.

3-8+320

CONTENTS.

HYDROSTATICS.

CHAP. I

INTRODUCTION.

Division of the physical Forms of Matter.-The solid and liquid States.-Cohe-

sion.-Repulsion.-Heat.-Subject of Hydrostatics.

CHAP. II.

PRESSURE OF LIQUIDS.

Page 1

Pressure transmitted equally in all Directions.-Experimental Proof of this.-A

Liquid is a Machine.-Hydrostatic Paradox.-Bramah's Hydrostatic Press.

Hydrostatic Bellows.-Various useful Applications of this Property.-Means of

transmitting Signals.-Dr. Arnott's Suggestion of its Application in surgical

Cases-Illustrations from the Animal Economy.-Circulation of the Blood. . 3

CHAP. III

OF THE PRESSURE PRODUCED BY THE WEIGHT OF A LIQUID.

Pressure proportional to the Depth.-Pressure on the horizontal Bottom and per-

pendicular Sides of a Vessel.-Experimental Proofs of the Property.-Total

Pressure on the perpendicular Sides of a Vessel computed.-Embankments,

Dams, and Floodgates.-Method of computing the total Pressure on the Surface

of a Vessel of any Shape.-Examples.-Globe.-Cube.-Various Effects pro-

duced by the Pressure of Liquids at great Depths.-Cork forced into a Bottle.-

Water forced into the Pores of Wood.-Liquids not absolutely incompressible.

-Experiment to prove this.

17

CHAP. IV.

LIQUIDS MAINTAIN THEIR LEVEL.

Experimental Proofs.-Vessels connected with communicating Tube.-Several

Vessels between which there is a free Communication.-Hydrostatic Paradox

explained by this Principle.-Surface of a Liquid level.-Why the Quality

does not extend to Solids.-Surface of the Land.-Surface of the Sea.-Curious

optical Deception in Waves.-Similar Property in revolving Screw.-Ornamen-

tal Fountain Clocks.-Phenomena of Rivers, Springs, Wells, Cataracts, explain-

ed.-Canals, Locks.-Method of supplying Water to Towns.-Exact Sense of

the word Level.-Common Surface of two Liquids in the same Vessel.-Level-

ing Instruments.-Spirit Level.

37