Prefaci. 



For some years past, if report says true, it has not been the pro- 

 perty of the original editor, but of a bookseller ; and in reality 

 edited not by Mr. Nicholson, but by some unknown person em- 

 ployed by the bookseller. 



Soon after the commencement of Nicho1son*s Journal, a rival 

 publication appeared under the name of the Philosophical Ma^- 

 gazijie, edited by Mr. Tulloch, a printer from Glasgow, and 

 publisher of the evening newspaper called the Star. It was of a 

 more miscellaneous nature than Nicholson's Journal, and per- 

 haps never contained so much original matter ; but its circula- 

 tion was from the commencement more extensive than that of 

 Nicholson's Journal : and this, unless I am misinformed by the 

 London booksellers, continues at present to be the case. 



Besides these two philosophical journals, which perhaps have 

 the most extensive circulation, there are two others of a similar 

 kind published in London ; one monthly, the other quarterly ; 

 but neither of them, as far as I have observed, contains original 

 papers. The first is the Repertory of Arts, Manufactures, and 

 Agriculture. It consists chiefly of the specifications of patents 

 granted for new inventions published without variation from the 

 Patent office, and contains besides a few additional papers in 

 each number copied from the Philosophical Transactions, or 

 from some other of the British or French scientific journals. 

 The quarterly journal is entitled, Retrospect of Philosophical, 

 Mechanical, Chemical, and Agricultural Discoveries ; being an 

 Ahridgement of the Periodical and other Publications, English 

 and Foreign, relative to Arts, Chemistry, Manufactures, Agri- 

 cidture, and Natural Philosophy. This, as the title implies, is 

 merely an abridgement of the other three English philosophical 

 journals, of the Transactions published by the different British 

 Societies^ and of one or two French periodical works. 



Such being the state of the English philosophical journals, our 

 readers v/ill not be surprized that we venture to otFer our chiims 

 to the attention of the public. We consider the multiplicity of 

 such journals as favourable to the advancement of science in 

 many points of view. It facilitates the publication of useful dis- 

 coveries, and probably occasions many valuable papers to make 

 their appearance, which in other circumstances would never 

 have been written. It secures the exertions of the respective 

 editors by the powerful feeling of rival interest ; and it circulates 

 the valuable dissertations of foreigners through Britain, which 

 might otherwise remain in a great measure unknown to uso 



In the present case the editor might easily descant upon the 

 defects of other philosophical journals^ he might give a detail of 



. - A 2 



