PHILADELPHIA: H. PERKINS, 134 CHESTNUT STREET.
MDCCCXXXVIII.
ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, by HENRY
PERKINS, in the Clerk’s office of the District Court for the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania.
Printed by Haswell, Barrington, and Haswell.
[Illustration: PREFACE.]
To furnish the ingenious youth with the means of relieving the
tediousness of a long winter’s or a wet summer’s evening,—to enable
him to provide for a party of juvenile friends, instructive as well
as recreative entertainment, without having recourse to any of the
vulgar modes of killing time,—to qualify the hero of his little circle
to divert and astonish his friends, and, at the same time, to improve
himself, are the principal objects of the following little Work.
The boy whose wonder and curiosity have been excited by the experiments
of the scientific lecturer, or the illusions of the ventriloquist,
will here find many of these mysteries unveiled, and plain directions
for performing them, divested, as far as possible, of scientific or
technical language. Many of the descriptions are strictly original, and
now, for the first time, appear in print; and especial care has been
taken to introduce only such Experiments as are adapted for performance
at the parlour or drawing-room table, or fire-side, and such as are
practicable without expensive chemical or mechanical apparatus, and
require no implements beyond those which any ingenious youth may
readily furnish from his own resources, or at a trifling expense.
Another object of these pages is to inform, without being dryly
scientific,—by imparting interesting facts, to stimulate the young
experimentalist to inquire into the laws that regulate them,—by aiding
him to acquire dexterity of practice, to smooth the road to the
development of principles,—and, above all, to enable him to escape
an imputation which every boy of spirit would consider the depth of
disgrace,—that of being “No Conjuror!”
[Illustration]
[Illustration: CONTENTS.]
Transmutations.
_Page_
The Spectral Lamp 1
Curious Change of Colours 2
The Protean Light 2
The Chameleon Flowers 3
To change the Colours of Flowers 3
Changes of the Poppy 3
To change the Colour of a Rose 4
Light changing White into Black 4
The Visibly growing Acorn 4
Changes in Sap-Green 5
To revive apparently dead Plants 5
Singular effect of Tears 5
Beauties of Crystallization 5
To crystallize Camphor 7
Crystallized Tin 7
Crystals in hard Water 7
Varieties of Crystals 7
Heat from Crystallization 8
Splendid Sublimation 8
Artificial Ice 8
Magic Inks 8
Chameleon Liquids 9
The Magic Dyes 9
Wine changed into Water 10
Two colourless transparent Liquids become black and opaque 10
Two colourless Fluids make a coloured one 10
Change of colour by colourless Fluids 10
To change a Blue Liquid to White 11
Veritable “Black” Tea 11
Restoration of Colour by Water 11
The Magic Writing 12
Two Liquids make a Solid 12
Two Solids make a Liquid 12
A solid opaque mass made a transparent Liquid 12
Two cold Liquids make a hot one 12
Quadruple Transmutation 13
Quintuple Transmutation 13
Combination of Colours 13
Union of two Metals without Heat 13
Magic Breath 13
Two Bitters make a Sweet 14
Visible and Invisible 14
Sight and Sound.
Artificial Mirage 17
Motion of the Eye 18
Single Vision with two Eyes 19
Two objects seen as one 19
Only one object can be seen at a time 20
Straight objects seen crooked 20
Optical Illusion 21
Pin-hole Focus 21
Optical Deceptions 22
Accuracy of Sight 22
Visual Deception 23
Handwriting upon the Wall 23
Imitative Haloes 23
To read a Coin in the dark 24
To make a Prism 24
Optical Augmentation 25
Gold Fish in a glass Globe 26
Colours produced by the unequal action of Light upon the Eyes 26
Optical Deception 27
Coloured Shadows 27
Colours of Scratches 27
Ocular Spectra 28
Beautiful Colours of Mother of Pearl 28
White Letters seen further than Black 29
Artificial Rainbow 29
Fringe about a Candle 29
The Double Coloured Reflection 30
Luminous Cross 30
Ring of Colours round a Candle 30
Simple and Cheap Opera-glass 31
Multiplying Theatres 31
Apparatus for Writing in the Dark 32
Portable Microscope 33
The Phenakistiscope or Stroboscope 34
To look at the Sun without injury 35
Brilliant Water Mirror 35
Optical Illusion under Water 35
The Magic Wheels 36
Acoustic Rainbow 37
Transmission of Sound 37
Progress of Sound 39
Sound turning Corners 39
To tell the distance of Thunder 40
Hearing by the Touch 40
Conversation for the Deaf 40
Glass broken by the Voice 41
Figures produced by Sound 41
Transmitted Vibration 42
Double Vibration 42
Champagne and Sound 42
Music from Palisades 43
Theory of the Jew’s Harp 43
Music of the Snail 44
To tune a Guitar without the assistance of the Ear 44
Music from Glass or Metal Rods 44
The Tuning-fork a Flute-player 45
Musical Bottles 46
Theory of Whispering 46
Theory of the Voice 46
Sound along a Wall 47
Sounds more audible by Night than by Day 47
Musical Echo 47
Ventriloquism 48
Light and Heat.
Flashes of Light upon revolving Wheels 53
Decomposition of Light 54
Solar Refraction 54
Incantations 55
To imitate the Light of the Sea 55
Instantaneous Lights 56
To colour the Flame of a Candle 57
To divide the Flame of a Candle 57
Cane Wick Lamp 58
Camphor and Platinum Lamp 58
Platinum and Ether Lamp 58
Floating Light 59
Substitute for a Wax Taper 59
Phosphorescent Fish 59
The Luminous Spectre 59
Light, a Painter 60
Effect of Light upon Crystallization 60
Effect of Light on Plants 60
Instantaneous Light upon Ice 61
White Light from Zinc 61
Brilliant Light from two Metals 61
Brilliant Light from Steel 61
Lighted Tin 62
Light from Gilt Buttons 62
Light from a Flower 62
Light from Sugar 62
Light from the Potato 63
Light from the Oyster 63
Light from Derbyshire Spar 63
Light from Oyster-shells 64
Rings of Light in Crystal 64
To strike Light with Cane 64
Cause of Transparency 64
Transparency of Gold 65
Tint changed by Thickness 65
Shadows made darker by increased Light 65
Miniature Thunder and Lightning 66
The Burning Glass 66
Magic of Heat 66
Repulsion by Heat 67
Heat passing through Glass 68
Metals unequally influenced by Heat 68
Spontaneous Combustion 69
Inequality of Heat in Fire irons 69
Expansion of Metal by Heat 69
Evaporation of a Metal 69
A Floating Metal on Fire 70
Heat and Cold from Flannel 70
Ice melted by Air 70
To hold a hot Tea-kettle on the Hand 70
Incombustible Linen 71
The Burning Circle 71
Water of different Temperatures in the same Vessel 71
Warmth of different Colours 71
Substitute for Fire 72
Gas and Steam.
Laughing Gas 75
The Luminous Wand 76
To make Carbonic Acid Gas 76
Carbonic Acid Gas in Wine or Beer Vessels 76
To extinguish Flame with Gas 77
Effect of Hydrogen on the Voice 77
Magic Taper 78
The Gas Candle 78
Gas Bubbles 78
Gas-light in the day-time 79
Miniature Balloons 79
Miniature Gas-lighting 79
Musical Gas 80
Miniature Will o’-the-wisp 81
Phosphoric Illumination 81
Combustion of Iron in Oxygen Gas 81
Glow-worm in Oxygen Gas 82
Luminous Charcoal 82
Brilliant Combustion in Oxygen 82
Flame from Cold Metals 83
Phosphorus in Chlorine 83
Caoutchouc Balloons 84
To increase the Light of Coal Gas 84
Gas from Indian Rubber 84
Ether Gas 85
Magic Vapour 85
Gas from the union of Metals 85
Invisible Gases made Visible 86
Light under Water 86
Gaseous Evanescence 86
Violet-coloured Gas 86
To collect Gases 87
The Deflagrating Spoon 87
What is Steam? 87
The Steam Engine simplified 88
To boil Water by Steam 88
Distillation in Miniature 89
Candle or Fire Crackers 89
Steam from the Kettle 89
Fire, Water, and Air.
Coloured Flames 93
Yellow Flame 94
Orange-coloured Flame 94
Emerald Green Flame 94
Instantaneous Flame 94
The Cup of Flame 95
To cool Flame by Metal 95
Proof that Flame is Hollow 95
Camphor sublimed by Flame 95
Green Fire 96
Brilliant Red Fire 96
Purple Fire 96
Silver Fire 97
The Fiery Fountain 97
The Artificial Conflagration 97
Inflammable Powder 97
Combustion without Flame 98
Combustion of Three Metals 98
To make Paper Incombustible 98
Singular Experiments with Glass Tubes 98
Aquatic Bomb 99
Heat not to be estimated by Touch 99
Flame upon Water 100
Rose-coloured Flame on Water 100
To set a Mixture on Fire with Water 100
Waves of Fire on Water 100
Explosion in Water 101
Water from the Flame of a Candle 101
Formation of Water by Fire 101
Boiling upon Cold Water 101
Currents in Boiling Water 102
Hot Water lighter than Cold 102
Expansion of Water by Cold 102
The Cup of Tantalus 103
Imitative Diving Bell 103
The Water-proof Sieve 104
More than full 104
To cause Wine and Water to change places 104
Pyramid of Alum 104
Visible Vibration 105
Charcoal in Sugar 106
Floating Needles 106
Water in a Sling 106
Attraction in a Glass of Water 106
To prevent Cork floating in Water 107
Instantaneous Freezing 107
To freeze Water with Ether 107
Production of Nitre 108
Curious Transposition 108
Animal Barometer 108
Magic Soap 108
Equal Pressure of Water 109
To empty a Glass under Water 109
To empty a Glass of Water without touching it 109
Decomposition of Water 110
Water heavier than Wine 110
To inflate a Bladder without Air 110
Air and Water Balloon 110
Heated Air Balloon 111
The Pneumatic Tinder-box 111
The Bacchus Experiment 111
The Mysterious Circles 112
Prince Rupert’s Drops 114
Vegetable Hygrometer 114
The Pneumatic Dancer 115
The Ascending Snake 116
The Pneumatic Phial 116
Resin Bubbles 117
Moisture of the Atmosphere 117
Climates of a Room 117
Bubbles in Champagne 118
Proofs that Air is a heavy Fluid 118
To support a Pea on Air 119
Pyrophorus, or Air-tinder 119
Beauty of a Soap-bubble 120
Why a Guinea falls more quickly than a Feather through the Air 121
Solidity of Air 122
Breathing and Smelling 122
Sleights and Subtleties.
The Ring and the Handkerchief 127
The Knotted Handkerchief 128
The Invisible Springs 130
The Miraculous Apple 131
The Self-balanced Pail 132
The Phantom at command 132
The Miraculous Shilling 134
The Locomotive Shilling 135
The Penetrative Sixpence 136
The Vanishing Sixpence 136
To make a Sixpence balance and spin on its edge on the
point of a Needle 137
The Multiplying Coin 137
The Magic Rat Trap 137
The Velocity of Motion 138
The Exploding Bubble 139
The Magic Picture 139
Artificial Lightning 140
Three objects discernible only with both Eyes 140
To tell by a Watch Dial the Hour when a Person intends to rise 140
To make a Ring suspend by a Thread, after the Thread has
been burned 141
To melt a piece of Money in a Walnut-shell without injuring
the Shell 141
The Magical Mirrors 142
The Enchanted Bottle 143
The Armed Apparition 143
To extract the Silver out of a Ring that is thickly Gilded,
so that the Gold may remain entire 144
Curious Experiment with a Glass of Water 144
A Luminous Bottle, which will show the Hour on a Watch in
the Dark 144
The Wonderful Hat 145
To bring a Person down upon a Feather 145
The Apparent Impossibility 146
An Omelet cooked in a Hat over the Flame of a Candle 146
The Impossible Omelet 147
Go if you can 147
The Figure Puzzle 147
The Visible Invisible 147
The Double Meaning 148
Quite tired out 148
Something out of the Common 148
To rub one Sixpence into two 149
Magic Circle 149
Melange.
Illusions of Touch 153
Illusion of the Taste 154
The General Bleacher 154
Influence of coloured Glass on bulbous Roots 155
The Spinning-top “asleep” 155
To judge of Weights 156
Quicksilver and Oil united 156
To dissolve the Soda in Glass 156
Waterproof Paper 157
To Dissolve Gold or Platinum 157
Colder than Ice 157
Contra-crystallization 157
One and one do not make two 158
To copy Writing instantly 158
The Rival Dials 158
To spin Indian Rubber 158
Indelible Writing 159
Vegetable Anatomy 159
To tell what o’Clock it is by the Moon 160
The Physiognotype 161
Infinite Divisibility of Matter 161
Holding the Breath 162
Sand in the Hour-Glass 162
Resistance of Sand 163
Glass broken by Sand 164
To bleach Ivory 164
Vanishing Shells 164
The Magic Egg 164
The Magic Whirlpool 165
Magic Porcelain 167
A Galvanic Tongue 168
Drinking Porter out of Pewter 168
Electric or Galvanic Preservation 168
Light from the Diamond 169
To break a Stone with a blow of the Fist 169
Mimic Frost-work 169
To melt Lead in a piece of Paper 170
Hydrostatic Balance 170
Metallic Reduction 171
Electrical Attraction and Repulsion 171
Alchemical Electricity 172
The Electric Balls 173
The Electric Dance 173
Electric Light 173
Electric Light from Brown Paper 174
Sudden Production of Light 174
Electricity of the Cat 174
[Illustration]
[Illustration: TRANSMUTATIONS.]
[Illustration]