To James David Forbes   5th April 1852

Queenwood College | Stockbridge Hants | 5^th April 1852

Dear Sir

Were I expert at making apologies this would be a fitting time for the exercise of the talent; but as I am not, and as I have too much faith in your kindness to believe that a lengthened apology for my present act is necessary, I proceed at once to the subject which induced me to write to you.

You have worked at the ‘conduction of heat’ – this I learned long ago from statements in the handbooks of Baumgartner, Ettingshausen and Müller;¹ but a complete account of your experiments I have not yet been able to lay my hands on. I have looked through the last 40 volumes of the Philosophical Magazine but to no purpose save that of finding out what I conceive to be the locality of the memoir which contains your results upon conduction. At page 27 of the 4^th vol. of the Magazine² you incidentally remark that the result of certain enquiries was contained in a paper read to the Royal Society of Edinburg on the 7^th of Jan, 1833³ – this paper I imagine is the one which excites my present interest.

An enquiry in which I am at present engaged renders me anxious to make myself accurately acquainted with what has been hitherto done in determining the conductive power of bodies; my distance from London throws an obstacle in the way of obtaining the necessary books and thus the thought occurred to me that in one important case at least you might be able and willing to assist me. If you could kindly lend me a copy of your enquiry upon conduction you would oblige me very much – I will take great care of it and lend it back to you uninjured.

I remain | Dear Sir | Most faithfully yours | John Tyndall

Prof. Forbes | &c. &c &c

StA JDF Incoming letters 1852, no. 33