Bibliographical history of electricity & magnetism : chronologically arranged / Researches into the domain of the early sciences, especially from the period of the revival of scholasticism, with biographical and other accounts of the most distinguished natural philosophers throughout the middle ages, comp. by Paul Fleury Mottelay ; with introduction by the late Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson and foreword by Sir R.T. Glazebrook.

  • Mottelay, Paul Fleury, 1841-
Date:
1922
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Bibliographical history of electricity & magnetism : chronologically arranged / Researches into the domain of the early sciences, especially from the period of the revival of scholasticism, with biographical and other accounts of the most distinguished natural philosophers throughout the middle ages, comp. by Paul Fleury Mottelay ; with introduction by the late Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson and foreword by Sir R.T. Glazebrook. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    38/734 (page 10)
    of lightning. This historian plainly states that iron placed at the bottom of a fountain, and made in the form of a sword, with the point upward, possessed, as soon as it was thus fixed in the ground, the property of averting storms and lightning. “ Ancient India, as described by Ktesias, the Knidian,” J. H. McCrindle, London, 1882, alludes, p. 68, to iron swords employed to ward off lightning. Reference is made to the ftantarbe at pp. 7-8, 69-70, and to the elektron (amber) at pp. 20, 21, 23, 51, 52, 70, 86. See account of Ktesias in “ Nouvelle Biogr. Gener.,” Vol. XII. pp. 568-571, and in “ Larousse Diet.,” Vol. V. p. 614. In his “ Observations sur la Physique,” Vols. XXIV. pp. 321- 323; XXV. pp. 297-303, XXVI. pp. 101-107, M. l’Abbe Rosier gives the correspondence between M. de Michaelis, Professor at Gottingen, and Mr. Lichtenberg, showing conclusively how the numerous points distributed over the surface of the roof of the Temple of Solomon effectively served as lightning conductors. Mr. Lichten¬ berg in addition shows that the bell tower located upon a hill at the country seat of Count Orsini de Rosenberg, was, during a period of several years, so repeatedly struck by lightning, with great loss of life, that divine service had to be suspended in the church. The tower was entirely destroyed in 1730 and soon after rebuilt, but it was struck as often as ten times during one prolonged storm, until finally a fifth successive attack, during the year 1778, compelled its demolition. For the third time the tower was reconstructed, and the Count placed a pointed conductor, since which time no damage has been sustained. References.—Mme. Blavatsky, “ Isis Unveiled,” 1877, Vol. I. pp. 142, 457, 458, 527, 528, and her references to Ovid, “ Fast,” lib. iii. v. 285-346; Titus Livius, lib. i. cap. 31; Pliny, “ Hist. Nat.,” lib. ii. cap. 53 and lib. xxviii. cap. 2 ; Lucius Calp, Piso; Columella, lib. x. v. 346, etc.; La Boissiere, “ Notice sur les Travaux de l’Academie du Gard,” part I. pp. 304-314; “Bell. Jud. adv. Roman,” lib. v. cap. 14; “Magas. Sc. de Gottingen,” 3e annee 5e cahier; Ktesias, in “ India ap. Photum. Bibl. Cod.,” 72. See also, De La Rive, “ Electricity,” London, 1858, Vol. Ill, chap. ii. p. 90 ; “ Encycl. Brit.,” 8th ed., article “ Electricity ” ; Lardner, “Lectures,” II. p. 99; Humboldt, “Cosmos,” 1849, Vol. II. pp. 502-504; Boccalini, “ Parnassus,” Century I. chap. xlvi. alluded to at p. 24, Vol. I. of Miller’s “ Retrospect ”; Gouget, “ Origin of Laws,” Vol. III. book 3 ; Themistius, Oratio 27, p. 337; “ Agathias Myrenaeus de rebus gestis Justiniani,” lib. v. p. 151; Dutens, “ Origine des decouvertes . . . ”; “Gentleman’s Magazine” for July 1785, p. 522; Falconer, “Mem. of Lit. and Phil. Soc. of Manchester,” Vol III. p. 278; “ Sc. Amer.,” No. 7. p. 99; E. Salverte, “ Phil, of Magic,” 1847, Vol. II. chaps, viii. and ix.; “Fraser’s Magazine” for 1839; H. Martin, Paris, 1865-6; P. F. von Dietrich, Berlin, 1784. $ B.C. 588.—The earliest reliable record of messages transmitted by the sign of fire is to be found in the book of Jeremiah, vi. 1 : “ O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign