Dear Sir
I send you a translation of Plücker’s paper.2
The experiments are fastened together in a short abstract, but I dare say you will consider it long enough as they dont appear to lead to any thing definite. He has given up his old notions but is evidently at a loss as to what is to fill their place.
The packet was sealed and ready for postage when the last two numbers of Poggendorff came into my hands. I have briefly run over their contents.
No. 10. There is a paper from Hankel ‘Ueber die Electricität der Flamme’ which is perhaps worth translating.3
A paper from Sondhauss ‘Ueber die Schwingungs Gesetz [der] cubischen Pfeifen’, a good paper apparently but very long – an abstract might be of interest.4
A description of the gyreidometer by Wilde5 – it is short and might be given in full.
Doppler’s paper6 might also be given in full, it is interesting and has brevity to recommend it.
No 11. We have a paper from Kolke ‘Ueber eine neue methode Magnetismus zu bestimmen’7 – and a very [sure] method it appears to be. An experiment or two might be of interest, just to shew the general increase of power from the centre of the pole to its edge.
I shall soon send you a paper on the subject myself and may have occasion to refer to Kolke. I shall certainly have to refer8 to Dubbs investigation which appears in 8 and 9 Poggendorff.9 Dubbs experiments have evidently been made with great care and many of them might perhaps be transferred with advantage to the pages of the Phil. Mag. For the sake of completeness it might be well to have at least those to which reference will be made. What do you think?
The paper from Kopp in No 11. is clever as might be expected from the man.10 There appears to be a law lurking somewhere and connecting the physical phenomena of bodies with their chemical constitution – I don’t know whether you will consider the subject ripe enough for notice.
Wilhelmy11 has a very interesting subject before him.
Riess12 might be given in full. it is very short.
Foucaults memoir13 has already appeared in the Comtes Rendus If you want it you will doubtless turn to this source.
Martins memoir14 would interest many readers but it is not new.
While awaiting your instructions I shall venture on a translation of the papers of Riess and Wilde, and perhaps that of Doppler.15 In doing this I think I cannot be far wrong.
very sincerely yours | John Tyndall
Wm Francis Esqre
StBPL T&F, Authors’ letters
[mid–late December 1850]: letter is dated based on allusions to Plücker, and to Tyndall’s Journal.
translation of Plücker’s paper: J. Plücker and A. Beer, ‘On the Magnetic Axes of Crystals, and their relation to Crystalline Form and to the Optic Axes’, Phil. Mag., 1:6 (June 1851), pp. 447–57. See letter 0448, n. 9 for the original paper.
a paper … worth translating: W. Hankel, ‘Mittheilung einiger Versuche über die Elektricität der Flamme und die hiedurch erzeugten elektrischen Ströme’, Poggend. Annal., 81:10 (1850), pp. 213–35. The published translation (letter 0461, n. 3) was an abridged version of this article.
A paper … be of interest: G. Sondhauss, ‘Ueber den Brummkreisel und das Schwingungsgesetz der kubischen Pfeifen’, Poggend. Annal., 81:10 (1850), pp. 235–57. The proposed abstract did not appear in the Phil. Mag.
A description … by Wilde: E. Wilde, ‘Beschreibung des Gyreidometers, eines Instrumentes zur genauen Messung der Farbenringe’, Poggend. Annal., 81:10 (1850), pp. 264–7. See letter 0461, n. 8 for the translation.
Doppler’s paper: C. Doppler, ‘Einige weitere Mittheilungen und Bemerkungen, meine Theorie des farbigen Lichtes der Doppelsterne etc. Betreffend’, Poggend. Annal., 81:10 (1850), pp. 270–5. No translation was published in the Phil. Mag.
a paper … zu bestimmen’: H. Vom Kolke, ‘Ueber eine neue Methode, die Intensität des Magnetismus zu bestimmen, nebst einigen mit Hülfe derselben gefundenen Resultaten’, Poggend. Annal., 81:11 (1850), pp. 321–47. No translation was published in the Phil. Mag.
may have occasion … have to refer to Dub: Tyndall referred to these papers by Dub in his memoir on magnetism (cited letter 0464, n. 2), but did not refer to Kolke.
Dubb’s investigation … in 8 and 9 Poggendorff: J. Dub, ‘Anziehende Wirkung der Elektromagnete’, Poggend. Annal., 80:8 (1850), pp. 494–520 and 81:9 (1850), pp. 46–72. No translation was published in the Phil. Mag.
The paper from Kopp in No 11 … the man: H. Kopp, ‘Ueber Siedepunkts - Regelmässigkeiten und H. Schröders neueste Siedepunktstheorie’, Poggend. Annal., 81:11 (1850), pp. 374–402. No translation was published in the Phil. Mag. Hermann Kopp (1817–92) was a German chemist who completed his studies at Marburg and Heidelberg and moved to the University of Geissen in 1839, where he taught chemistry. In 1863 he was appointed professor of chemistry at the University of Heidelberg.
Wilhelmy: L. Wilhelmy, ‘Ueber das Gesetz, nach welchem die Einwirkung der Säuren auf den Rohrzucker stattfindet’, Poggend. Annal., 81:11 (1850), pp. 413–28. No translation was published in the Phil. Mag.
Riess: P. Riess, ‘Ueber die Wirkung des einfachen Schliessungsdrahtes der Batterie auf sich selbst’, Poggend. Annal., 81:11 (1850), pp. 428–33. Tyndall discussed his translation in letter 0461. An abstract of the paper was eventually published in March 1852 (see letter 0514, n. 4 for details).
Foucaults memoir: L. Foucault, ‘Allgemeine Methode zur Messung der Geschwindigkeit des Lichts in Luft und durchsichtigen Mitteln; relative Geschwindigkeiten des Lichts in Luft und Wasser; Project eines Versuchs über die Fortpflanzungs – Geschwindigkeiten der strahlenden Wärme’, Poggend. Annal., 81:11 (1850), pp. 434–42, was translated from the original French (see letter 0459, n. 3) and condensed for publication (see letter 0460, especially n. 2).
Martins memoir: C. Martins, ‘Anweisung zur Beobachtung der Windhosen oder Tromben’, Poggend. Annal., 81:11 (1850), pp. 444–67. No translation was published in the Phil. Mag.
the papers of Riess and Wilde, and perhaps that of Doppler: see notes 12 (Riess), 5 (Wilde), and 6 (Doppler) above. Only for Wilde was a full translation published, although Tyndall wrote an abstract of Riess (n. 12).
Please cite as “Tyndall0457,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 30 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0457