Third Meeting of the Bright-ish Association for the Advancement of Everything
Section A.—Mathematical and Physical Science.
President—Prof. Cycloyd. Vice-Presidents—Dr. Spectrum & Major Fork.
“On an Experiment of Interference.” By Inspector Jones.
The author stated, that one night he had observed a gentleman employed in experimenting upon the tintinnabular powers of bells, as produced by voltaic action communicated through copper wires; the end of the wire being conducted into the open air, and the point defended by a brass knob. Feeling interested in the prosecution of this experiment, the author immediately proceeded to the spot to make inquiries into its success; but when within two paces of the experimentalist, he had suddenly received so severe a shock that he was stunned for the moment. When he recovered from its effects, the gentleman was gone. This he particularly regretted, as he much wished to have discovered the power which had produced the shock that prostrated him; but as he had observed another gentleman a short distance behind him, he supposes that he, being an assistant of the experimentalist, was engaged in generating the galvanic fluid, which, passing from him to the one in connexion with the brass knob, (from thence to be communicated to the bell through the wire,) had produced the shock described—the author’s body intercepting its flow, and thus being in a state of interference.
“A Comparison between the Results given by Rain-gauges and known Facts with regard to Lachrymatose precipitations.”
By Dr. Daw.
The object of this paper was, to point out the connexion which exists between the quantities of rain received on horizontal surfaces, at different heights above the ground, and the quantity of lachrymal vapour condensed into tears, also at different heights; and showing that, in both cases, the less the elevation the greater were the quantities. Thus, a rain-gauge, four feet from the ground, will intercept less than one on the ground; and a child of four feet high will produce less than one two feet high.
“On the Expression of Unknown Quantities.” By Prof. Muddelwitz.
A method of expressing unknown quantities by known formulæ has long been a desideratum in mathematical science. This process the author stated he had discovered; for that the fractions of coefficient indices, when used to express the powers of differential equations, are always capable of being solved into pure algebraic roots. Thus, if in an infinitesimal series, in which p, o, o2—t—t2 are unknown given quantities, a, a2, and e, known, and the value to be limited, the equation stands as follows:—
1. a x — a2 × p o t2 = t, o, e.
2. a x = t o e + a — p o t2
——————————
3. x = 2 √(a - p o t2 + a2 — t o e)
Thus the generalization of the equation of x, to the nth degree, gives its fraction in the form of an algebraic root.
[To some readers the above demonstrations may seem rather obscure; but as the late Dr. Dundertop, in his treatise on the Perspicuous, clearly explains—“Ephpnxmqzomubh grudcnkrl, hqmpt on kronswt.”]
We were all thrown into a state of such intense dumbness, such complete torpor, by the profundity of these scientific researches, that everybody tacitly admitted the appropriateness of the next subject; it was a case of still-life which met our startled eye the other evening, in the form of a pair of
On our table stood, not one, but two “black bottles,” two bottles that had held “Cork stout”—two we saw without seeing double. The corks had already been drawn, but upon them were two faces distinctly visible, which we resolved to draw likewise; and as the pencil wound itself about, we seemed to hear the following dialogue, in a sort of screw-like tone:—
“Arrah, Paddy now, and where are you from?”
“Sure I’m from Cork.”
“Cork is it? fait den it’s from Cork I am meself.”
“Not such terrifying images, sir,” said a nervous visitor, who trembled like Keeley in the old drama of the Bottle Imp, “not such terrifying images as that family of phantoms, that assemblage of the blues, which you conjured up in your last number. You might well call them “frights.” I’m sure I’ve felt all over like the Derbyshire turnpike-man ever since; but I’m not at all afraid of those two bottle conjurors there.”
The allusion to this mysterious Derbyshire pike-man produced inquiry, and we were all forthwith reminded by our agitated companion, of a midnight scene—