industrial biography-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



There　is　every　reason　to　believeindeed　it　seems　clear　that　the

Romans　knew　of　gunpowder；　though　they　only　used　it　for　purposes　of

fireworks；　while　the　secret　of　the　destructive　Greek　fire　has　been

lost　altogether。　　When　gunpowder　came　to　be　used　for　purposes　of　war；

invention　busied　itself　upon　instruments　of　destruction。　　When

recently　examining　the　Museum　of　the　Arsenal　at　Venice；　we　were

surprised　to　find　numerous　weapons　of　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth

centuries　embodying　the　most　recent　English　improvements　in　arms；

such　as　revolving　pistols；　rifled　muskets；　and　breech…loading　cannon。

The　latter；　embodying　Sir　William　Armstrong's　modem　idea；　though　in　a

rude　form；　had　been　fished　up　from　the　bottom　of　the　Adriatic；　where

the　ship　armed　with　them　had　been　sunk　hundreds　of　years　ago。　　Even

Perkins's　steam…gun　was　an　old　invention　revived　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci

and　by　him　attributed　to　Archimedes。*

　＇footnote。。。

Vieux…Neuf；　i。　228；　Inventa　Nova…Antiqua；　742。

　。。。＇

The　Congreve　rocket　is　said　to　have　an　Eastern　origin；　Sir　William

Congreve　having　observed　its　destructive　effects　when　employed　by　the

forces　under　Tippoo　Saib　in　the　Mahratta　war；　on　which　he　adopted　and

improved　the　missile；　and　brought　out　the　invention　as　his　own。



Coal…gas　was　regularly　used　by　the　Chinese　for　lighting　purposes　long

before　it　was　known　amongst　us。　　Hydropathy　was　generally　practised　by

the　Romans；　who　established　baths　wherever　they　went。　　Even　chloroform

is　no　new　thing。　　The　use　of　ether　as　an　anaesthetic　was　known　to

Albertus　Magnus；　who　flourished　in　the　thirteenth　century；　and　in　his

works　he　gives　a　recipe　for　its　preparation。　　In　1681　Denis　Papin

published　his　Traite　des　Operations　sans　Douleur；　showing　that　he　had

discovered　methods　of　deadening　pain。　　But　the　use　of　anaesthetics　is

much　older　than　Albertus　Magnus　or　Papin；　for　the　ancients　had　their

nepenthe　and　mandragora；　the　Chinese　their　mayo；　and　the　Egyptians

their　hachisch　（both　preparations　of　Cannabis　Indica）；　the　effects　of

which　in　a　great　measure　resemble　those　of　chloroform。　　What　is

perhaps　still　more　surprising　is　the　circumstance　that　one　of　the

most　elegant　of　recent　inventions；　that　of　sun…painting　by　the

daguerreotype；　was　in　the　fifteenth　century　known　to　Leonardo　da

Vinci；*

　＇footnote。。。

Vieux…Neuf；　i。　19。　　See　also　Inventa　Nova…Antiqua；　803。

　。。。＇

whose　skill　as　an　architect　and　engraver；　and　whose　accomplishments

as　a　chemist　and　natural　philosopher；　have　been　almost　entirely

overshadowed　by　his　genius　as　a　painter。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Hallam；　in　his　Introduction　to　the　History　of　Europe；　pronounces

the　following　remarkable　eulogium　on　this　extraordinary　genius：　　

〃If　any　doubt　could　be　harboured；　not　only　as　to　the　right　of

Leonardo　da　Vinci　to　stand　as　'the　first　name　of　the　fifteenth

century；　which　is　beyond　all　doubt；　but　as　to　his　originality　in　so

many　discoveries；　which　probably　no　one　man；　especially　in　such

circumstances；　has　ever　made；　it　must　be　on　an　hypothesis　not　very

untenable；　that　some　parts　of　physical　science　had　already　attained　a

height　which　mere　books　do　not　record。〃　　〃Unpublished　MSS。　　by　Leonado

contain　discoveries　and　anticipations　of　discoveries；〃　says　Mr。

Hallam；　〃within　the　compass　of　a　few　pages；　so　as　to　strike　us　with

something　like　the　awe　of　preternatural　knowledge。〃

　。。。＇

The　idea；　thus　early　born；　lay　in　oblivion　until　1760；　when　the

daguerreotype　was　again　clearly　indicated　in　a　book　published　in

Paris；　written　by　a　certain　Tiphanie　de　la　Roche；　under　the

anagrammatic　title　of　Giphantie。　　Still　later；　at　the　beginning　of　the

present　century；　we　find　Thomas　Wedgwood；　Sir　Humphry　Davy；　and　James

Watt；　making　experiments　on　the　action　of　light　upon　nitrate　of

silver；　and　only　within　the　last　few　months　a　silvered　copper…plate

has　been　found　amongst　the　old　household　lumber　of　Matthew　Boulton

（Watt's　partner）；　having　on　it　a　representation　of　the　old　premises

at　Soho；　apparently　taken　by　some　such　process。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　plate　is　now　to　be　seen　at　the　Museum　of　Patents　at　South

Kensington。　　In　the　account　which　has　been　published　of　the　above

discovery　it　is　stated　that　〃an　old　man　of　ninety　（recently　dead　or

still　alive）　recollected；　or　recollects；　that　Watt　and　others　used　to

take　portraits　of　people　in　a　dark　（？）　room；　and　there　is　a　letter

extant　of　Sir　William　Beechey；　begging　the　Lunar　Society　to　desist

from　these　experiments；　as；　were　the　process　to　succeed；　it　would

ruin　portrait…painting。〃

　。。。＇



In　like　manner　the　invention　of　the　electric　telegraph；　supposed　to

be　exclusively　modern；　was　clearly　indicated　by　Schwenter　in　his

Delasements　Physico…Mathematiques；　published　in　1636；　and　he　there

pointed　out　how　two　individuals　could　communicate　with　each　other　by

means　of　the　magnetic　needle。　　A　century　later；　in　1746；　Le　Monnier

exhibited　a　series　of　experiments　in　the　Royal　Gardens　at　Paris；

showing　how　electricity　could　be　transmitted　through　iron　wire　950

fathoms　in　length；　and　in　1753　we　find　one　Charles　Marshall

publishing　a　remarkable　description　of　the　electric　telegraph　in　the

Scots　Magazine；　under　the　title　of　'An　expeditions　Method　of

conveying　Intelligence。'　Again；　in　1760；　we　find　George　Louis　Lesage；

professor　of　mathematics　at　Geneva；　promulgating　his　invention　of　an

electric　telegraph；　which　he　eventually　completed　and　set　to　work　in

1774。　　This　instrument　was　composed　of　twenty…four　metallic　wires；

separate　from　each　other　and　enclosed　in　a　non…conducting　substance。

Each　wire　ended　in　a　stalk　mounted　with　a　little　ball　of　elder…wood

suspended　by　a　silk　thread。　　When　a　stream　of　electricity；　no　matter

how　slight。；　was　sent　through　the　wire；　the　elder…ball　at　the

opposite　end　was　repelled；　such　movement　designating　some　letter　of

the　alphabet。　　A　few　years　later　we　find　Arthur　Young；　in　his　Travels

in　France；　describing　a　similar　machine　invented　by　a　M。　Lomond　of

Paris；　the　action　of　which　he　also　describes。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃l6th　Oct。l787。　　In　the　evening　to　M。　Lomond；　a　very　ingenious　and

inventive　mechanic；　who　has　made　an　improvement　of　the　jenny　for

spinning　cotton。　　Common　machines　are　said　to　make　too　hard　a　thread

for　certain　fabrics；　but　this　forms　it　loose　and　spongy。　　In

electricity　he　has　made　a　remarkable　discovery：　　you　write　two　or

three　words　on　a　paper；　he　takes　it　with　him　into　a　room；　and　turns　a

machine　inclosed　in　a　cylindrical　case；　at　the　top　of　which　is　an

electrometer；　a　small　fine　pith　ball；　a　wire　connects　with　a　similar

cylinder　and　electrometer　in　a　distant　apartment；　and　his　wife；　by

remarking　the　corresponding　motions　of　the　ball；　writes　down　the

words　they　indicate；　from　which　it　appears　that　he　has　formed　an

alphabet　of　motions。　　As　the　length　of　the　wire　makes　no　difference　in

the　effect；　a　correspondence　might　be　carried　on　at　any　distance：　　

within　and　without　a　besieged　town；　for　instance；　or　for　a　purpose

much　more　worthy；　and　a　thousand　times　more　harmless；　between　two

lovers　prohibited　or　prevented　from　any　better　connexion。　　Whatever

the　use　may　be；　the　invention　is　beautiful。〃Arthur　Young's　Travels

in　France　in　1787…8…9。　　London；　1792；　4to。　ed。　p。　65。

　。。。＇

In　these　and　similar　cases；　though　the　idea　was　born　and　the　model　of

the　invention　was　actually　made；　it　still　waited　the　advent　of　the

scientific　mechanical　inventor　who　should　bring　it　to　perfection；　and

embody　it　in　a　practical　working　form。



Some　of　the　most　valuable　inventions　have　descended　to　us　without　the

names　of　their　authors　having　been　preserved。　　We　are　the　inheritors

of　an　immense　legacy　of　the　results　of　labour　and　ingenuity；　but　we

know　not　the　names　of　our　benefactors。　　Who　invented　the　watch　as　a

measurer　of　time？　Who　invented　the　fast　and　loose　pulley？　Who

invented　the　eccentric？　Who；　asks　a　mechanical　inquirer；*

　＇footnote。。。

Mechanic's　Magazine；　4th　Feb。　1859。

　。。。＇

〃invented　the　method　of　cutting　sc