174 History of Luminescence 



jacques ozanam 



One of the less well-known writers on physics was the eminent 

 French mathematician, Jacques Ozanam (1640-1717) , whose Recrea- 

 tions Mathematiques et Physiques, first published in 1694, went 

 through a number of editions, after his death. The later editions, 

 contained considerable on luminescence. For example Vol. 4 of the 

 Paris (1735) edition, entitled Des Phosphores et des Lampes Per- 

 petuelles contains 270 pages devoted to natural and artificial phos- 

 phors, including both the organic and inorganic types. It constitutes 

 a really comprehensive monograph on the subject. Among the 

 natural phosphors were fiery meteors, luminous diamonds, various 

 kinds of fireflies and glowworms, rotten wood and fish, some birds 

 (of Hercinia) and men (electroluminescence) , while the artificial 

 types of phosphorus included the Bolognian and the Baldewinian; 

 also phosphorus of Kunkel, Homberg, Lyonet, Nuguet (called 

 " phosphore de verre," mercury shaken in an evaculated glass vessel) 

 and du Tal (the luminous barometer) . These types were all de- 

 scribed in great detail. A third section on " perpetual lamps " fol- 

 lowed the " phosphores." The 1735 and 1791 editions, " lately 

 recomposed and greatly enlarged ... by the celebrated M. Mon- 

 tucla," were translated by Charles Hutton, L. L. D. and F. R. S., and 

 appeared in 1803, but the section dealing with natural and artificial 

 phosphors was reduced to 35 pages. Another edition is dated 1844. 



BENJAMIN MARTIN 



The Newtonian point of view was widely publicized during the 

 eighteenth century by Benjamin Martyn or Martin (1704-1782), 

 whose interests involved instrumentation, mathematics, and all 

 branches of physics. He was a prolific popular writer on natural 

 philosophy {Philosophical Grammar, 1735; Philosophia Britannica, 

 1747) , including optical and electrical essays, natural history, and 

 biography. Some of his books on physics passed through many edi- 

 tions, and were used at Harvard College.-^ 



Martin's explanation of various luminescences is given in a chap- 

 ter of the Philosophia Britannica dealing with fire and flame. He 

 wrote: -^ 



That Heat, Fire, Flame, etc. are only the different Effects and Modifica- 

 tions of the Particles of Light, is, I think, very evident; and the Particles 

 of Light themselves depend entirely on Velocity for their lucific Quality; 



^^ See T. Hornberger, Scientific thought in American colleges, 107 pp. Univ. of Texas 

 Press, 1945. 



=8B. Martin, Philosophia Britannica, 3rd ed., 2:279-281, London, 1771. 



