~ 
5 THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 

No. 1. 

OCTOBER 1, 1799. ~ [No. 3. of Vor. viit- 

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
To SERS 
HE defective knowledge of arithme- 
tic, and the diitafte for the whole of 
mathematical feience, which young men 
bring with them from our'claflical {chools, 
have been frequent fubjects of complaint. 
The evil, I fuppofe, {till fubfifts- in full 
force; nor is it tobe imagined that the pu- 
pils of ladies” boarding-{chools are greater 
proficients in figures, than thofe who are 
deftined to be their-partners for life. On 
the conftant convenience of a readinefs at 
accompts, I need not expatiate; and the 
various indireét ufes even of a flight ac- 
quaintance with the exact {ciences have 
been often pointed out: perhaps nothing 
would more effectually check the prevail- 
ing tafte for defultory, inattentive read- 
ing; cr more powerfully counteract the 
pemicious effects of this intellectual 
poifon. - : 
Of the common repuenance to arith- 
metic, a bad method of teaching feems, 
.as in fimilar cafes, to be the principal 
caufe. Without fome extrinfic motive, 
fuch as the conviction of its neceffity to a 
livelihood, or the ftrong terror of the rod 
(and fuch a motive will not often operate 
upon the rich), arithmetic will continue 
to be loathed, as long as the mafter con- 
tents himfelf with propofing and exempli- 
fying the dry rule. ‘To render the ftudy 
engaging, a liberal explanation of the very 
curious properties of figures mutt be 
_ given; and the reafons for fuch and fuch 
a proceeding be amply and familiarly de- 
veloped. This can be done in a manner 
perfectly clear, and highly amufing to in- 
telligent children of fix or feven years of 
age. The beft elementary tract I have 
yet feen, #s that by Condorcet (Moyens 
apprendre a compter furement et avec 
Jacilué). Idonot, however, with to fee 
even this excellent -traé& literally tranf- 
lated. It might be confiderably ~im- 
proved. That it fhould have defects we 
cannot wonder, when we are told: C’étoit 
dans Lafyle ou il fe cachoit a fes bourreaux 
gue Condorcet a écrit. ) 
To enliven the rudiments of arithme- 
tic, and to make certain points more dif. 
Monruiy Mac. No. L. 
‘me needleffly tedious. 
ting, I am, by all means, for adopting 
‘mechanical contrivances, or rather for 
extending their ufe, for they are toa cer- 
tain degree already in ufe. An example 
or two will beft explain my plan. 
Let us fuppofe that the effect of the cy- 
pher (o) in notation is to be fhewn, I 
would have a flider, from which, at the 
end neareft the right-hand, there fhould 
project a cube, having fome figure, fup- 
pofe 1, inicribed upon its upper furface $ 
I would alio have other detached pieces. 
in the form of wedges, with their bafe of 
the fame fize as one of the faces of the 
cube, upon which bafe a cypher fhould be 
inferibed. The flider fhould move ina fim- 
ple frame of this fhape. [| 
cat! eet || 
When it is pufhed quite home, the cube 
will ftand clofe to the right end of the 
frame, and the figure (1) will appear; in 
this ftate of the apparatus, puth in a 
wedge between the right end of the frame, 
and the flider, which of courfe will be 
driven back, and 10 will be feen: by 
another wedge we-fhall produce 100, and. 
foon. Thus it will be perceived, that 
each cypher-wedge has the effeét of re- 
moving the figure (1) a fingle place nearer 
the left-hand, and of increafing its value 
tenfold. I fuppofe the learner previoufly 
to underftand- notation, as far at deaft as 
10,100, &c. — By a fet of wedges, marked. 
with the different numerals, he thus may 
be taught notation to any extent. Were. 
I to put down here all that is to be faid 
at the moment, your readers would find 
Thofe who feck 
themfelves at a-lofs for an explanation, 
muft be either dull of apprehenfion, or 
little in the habit,of addrefling inftruétion 
to the fenfes of the young. x 
Let. it not be fuppofed that I eg 
the contrivance I have defcribed to be 
necefary. The fame thing, I am very , 
fenfible, may be fhewn on a flate or upom 
paper. But I wifh to gain an intereit im 
the mind of the pupil for the ftudy of fia 
gures; and the finpleft movement interefts 
a child. .The only precaution ‘requifite 
is, that the apparatus fhould be plain, 
and have few parts; otherwife, the eye 
4S will 
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