magazine of popular science and journal of arts. 
235 
We have just been favored with the loan 
of a new periodical, the Magazine of Popu- 
lar Science and Journal of the Useful Arts. 
The intention of this work is the exclusion 
of all elaborate original memoirs of scienti- 
fic researches, and in their place to condense 
into brief essays, or abstracts, such accounts 
of the progress of discovery on the several 
branches of physical inquiry as to place in a 
connected point of view the labours of differ- 
ent individuals engaged in these enquiries* 
The two first numbers for February and 
March, 1836, contain some interesting 
articles, from which we glean the following. 
GALLERY OF PRACTICAL SCIENCE. 
The Gallery of Practical Science was pro- 
jected in the Autumn of 1831, by a few indi- 
viduals desirous to promote the intercourse 
between the cultivators of abstract Science, 
and persons engaged in its practical applica- 
tion; to illustrate scientific subjects in a 
manner at once interesting and instructive ; 
and to afford to discoverers in philosophy, in- 
ventors, improvers of inventions, manufac- 
turers, and individuals possessing interesting 
objects of virtue, the opportunity to bring be- 
fore the public their discoveries or works of 
art, in an attractive and inexpensive manner. 
The finishing and fitting-up of the premises 
occupied the period till the 4th of June, 1832, 
when the rooms were opened in the evening 
to a numerous company invited for the occa- 
sion ; on the following morning the gallery 
was opened to the public. The number of 
visitors contributing to the support of the 
institution, was found gradually to augment, 
and the original proprietors were thereby 
encouraged to extend the basis of the esta- 
blishment ; and the most secure means of 
effecting that desideratum appeared to be a 
Royal Charter of Incorporation. 
The late Thomas Telford, Esq., the most 
eminent engineer of his age — whose name 
will endure longer than even the numei’ous 
works of his construction, which have im- 
proved whilst they adorn our country, — and 
Francis Giles, Esq., civil-engineer, were the 
first individuals to join the orginal projec- 
tors ; and in answer to their united petition, 
his Majesty was graciously pleased to grant 
the charter, which incorporates the sharehol- 
ders under the title of “ The Society for the 
Illustration and Encouragement of Practical 
Science.” 
Authority is given by the charter to divide 
the capital of 20,OOOZ. — consisting of 4,000Z. 
in money, and 16,000Z. invested in the pre- 
mises and philosophical apparatus placed 
therein — into 400 shares of 50^. each. It 
also confers the privilege of raising a further 
capital to the extent of 20,000Z., in similar 
shares, should the proprietors, at a general 
meeting, specially convened for that purpose, 
so determine. 
All contracts are to be made under the 
corporate seal of the society, which, with the 
properties and affairs of the institution, is 
entrusted to the management of a council, 
consisting of not fewer than four, nor more 
^han fifteen of the proprietors. The accounts 
are required to be made up and laid before 
the proprietors, at least once in every year, 
when dividends of the profits may be decla- 
red. 
It must be obvious, that where the ardu- 
ous task is undertaken of accommodating a 
public exhibition like the present to the vari- 
ous tastes of a mixed assemblage, there will, 
of necessity, exist some points which shall 
be highly attractive to one class of visitors, 
whilst they will be regarded as comparatively 
unimportant by others. Thus the Persian 
rope-dancer, which, with its fairy-like music 
and elegant movements, is a never-failing 
source of admiration to the young, may, by 
others, be held in light estimation ; unless, 
indeed, a love of science shall lead them to 
examine andinquire into its ingenious and 
elaborate mechanism. So also with the 
automaton juggler ; there are, however, some 
other marked features, some central points, 
as it were, of attraction, deserving especial 
notice ; and to these we shall briefly advert. 
We will commence with the series of Mag- 
nets, which are prepared for the daily illus- 
tration of some of the appearances and effects 
of electro-magnetical and magneto -electrical 
phenomena. The Electro-Magnet, possessing 
neither Electricity nor Magnetism, until ex- 
cited by a very small voltaic battery ; it then 
instantly acquires an enormous power of 
suspension : on destroying its connexion with 
the battery, it becomes again unable to sup- 
port a grain. Another of the same kind, 
and called the Ferro-Electric Sphere, arrang- 
ed to show the true cause of the Earth’s 
Magnetism. A third, is a Self-acting Electro- 
Magnetic Machine; in this also Electricity 
excites Magnetism, producing motion in a 
spindle, and by an ingenious contrivance, 
which effects an alternation in the poles, 
continues this motion, and gives out an un- 
interrupted succession of sparks and shocks 
for an indefinite period. The Magneto-Elec- 
tric Machine, — in this combination Magnetism 
produces Electricity. This instrument was 
made in consequence of Professor Faraday’s 
important discovery, that electricity could be 
obtained by means of magnetism ; and was 
the actual one from which the first spark was 
first produced and seen in England. It now 
exhibits the spark most brilliantly and in- 
cessantly, — gives an intolerable shock, — de- 
composes water, — ignites and fuses platU 
num-wire, &c. 
There is also an instrument which belongs 
to a department yet scarcely explored by 
scientific research, and one which we fear is 
too often passed unheeded ; we allude to an 
apparatus for showing the Compressibility 
of Fluids by means of hydrostatic pressure 
which can be produced in this machine to the 
unprecedented amount of 30,000 lbs. to the 
square inch. 
