CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. 



1. On the Plan of this Dissertation page 1 



2. On the Relations between Mathematics and Natural 



Philosophy, and between the latter and the Mechanical 

 Arts page 7 



CHAPTER II PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY AND ANALYTICAL MECHANICS. 



1. LAGRANGE. Variation of Parameters Application 

 to Physical Astronomy. The Stability of the Planetary 

 System; Laplace; Poisson. Moon's Libration... page 11 



2. LAPLACE. Lunar Theory Improved. Great Ine- 

 quality of Jupiter and Saturn. Theory of the Tides 

 Young; DrWhewell; Mr Airy. Theory of Pro- 

 babilities Character of Laplace as a Physicist and 

 Author page 16 



3. LEGENDRE IVORY. Theory of Integration ; El- 

 liptic Transcendants (Abel, Jacobi). The Attraction 



of Spheroids, and Theory of the Earth's Figure. At- 

 mospherical Refractions P a g e 24 



4. Progress of Physical Astronomy since the publication 

 of the Mecanique Celeste POISSON. Theory of Ro- 

 tation (Poinsot). Mr AIRY The Solar Theory. 

 MM. PLANA and HANSEN The Lunar Theory. 

 Physical Astronomy in America page 26 



5. M. LEVERRIER Mr ADAMS. The inverse method 

 of Perturbations. Prediction of the place and orbit of 

 Neptune from the motions of Uranus P a g e 29 



CHAPTER III. ASTRONOMY. 



1. MASKEYLINE DELAMBRE. Progress of Practical 

 Astronomy from 1770 till 1810 of the Lunar Theory 

 deduced from Observation The Density and Figure of 

 the Globe. Cavendish; Baily. Trigonometrical Sur- 

 veys page 34 



2. SIR WILLIAM HERSCHEL. History of Sidereal and 

 Telescopic Astronomy to 1820. Herschel as an Opti- 

 cian Planet Uranus Solar Spots Orbits of Double 

 Stars Nebulae The Milky Way Sun's Motion in 

 Space page 40 



3. BESSEL Mr AIRY. Modern Observatories. Fixed 

 Star Catalogues Planetary and Lunar Observa- 

 tions page 49 



4. BORDA KATER BAILY. The Figure of the Earth 

 from Pendulum Observations " Reduction to a va- 



cuum;" Mr STOKES Colonel EVEREST M. 

 STRUVE. Latest Measures of the Earth. M. Fou- 

 CAULT'S Pendulum Experiment page 52 



5. M. ENCKE. Cometary Astronomy Periodic Comets 

 of Halley and Encke. GAMBART'S and Biela's Co- 

 metComets of 1811 and 1843 Mr HIND New 

 Planets or Asteroids. Mr LASSELL Newly-disco- 

 vered Satellites. Mr Bond page 57 



6. Sidereal Astronomy since 1820. M. STRUVE 

 Double Stars. Observatories of Dorpat and Pulkowa- 

 SIR JOHN HERSCHEL Orbits of Double Stars. Mag- 

 nitudes of Stars. Variable Stars. EARL OF RosSE 

 His Telescopes. Nebulce. HENDERSON and BES- 

 SEL Parallax of Stars page 63 



CHAPTER IV. MECHANICS OF SOLID AND FLUID BODIES, CIVIL ENGINEERING, 



AND ACOUSTICS. 



1. WATT. Condition of Practical Mechanics previous 

 to the time of Watt. His genius for the application 

 of Science to Practice. His successive Improvements 

 on the Steam-Engine. Steam Navigation page 67 



2. ROBISON. Application of Statical Principles to 

 Engineering, especially to practical Masonry. COU- 

 LOMB. Friction Force of Torsion page 72 



3. THOMAS YOUNG. Strength of Materials, and Art 

 of construction (continued). TELFORD Introduc- 

 tion of Iron into permanent Structures. Suspension 

 Bridget Tredgold; Mr Hodgkinson; M. Navier. 

 Mr ROBERT STEPHENSON Tubular Bridges... ip&ge 76 



4. Sir M. I. BRUNEL. Self-acting Machinery. Thames 

 Tunnel. Mr BABB AGE'S Calculating Engines. . .page 80 



5 TREVITHICK. GEORGE STEPHENSON. The Loco- 

 .motive Steam-Engine. Rise and Progress of Rail- 

 ways. M. de Pambour on Locomotives page 83 



6. Hydrodynamics. DUBUAT, VENTURI, Professor 

 STOKES. Friction and Resistance of Fluids. MM. 

 WEBER, Mr SCOTT RUSSELL Propagation of 

 Waves. Their influence on Canal Navigation. MM. 

 FOURNEYRON and PONCELET Improved Hydraulic 

 Machines; Turbine. Reference to the subject of Capil- 

 lary Attraction ....page 88 



7. Progress of Acoustics. CHLADNI SAVAHT. La- 

 place's Correction of the Theory of Sound. Vibrating 

 Plates and Acoustic Figures. Cagniard de la Tour's 

 "Sirene." page 93 



