Nature's Teachings: Human Invention Anticipated by Nature. J. G. Wood

ARTS. CHAPTER IV. THE STOPPER, OR CORK.—THE FILTER.

       The Stopper, or Cork.

       The Filter.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER V. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SPRING.—THE ELASTIC SPRING.—ACCUMULATORS.—THE SPIRAL SPRING.

       Elastic Springs.

       The Spiral Spring.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER VI. SPIRAL AND RINGED TISSUES.—VARIOUS SPRINGS IN NATURE AND ART.

       Spiral and Ringed Tissues.

       Diving and Divers.

       The Leaping Spring.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER VII. FOOD AND COMFORT.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER VIII. DOMESTIC COMFORT.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER IX. ARTIFICIAL WARMTH.—RING AND STAPLE.—THE FAN.

       Artificial Warmth.

       Ring and Staple.

       The Fan.

       Burial.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER X. WATER, AND MEANS OF PROCURING IT.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XI. AËROSTATICS.—WEIGHT OF AIR.—EXPANSION BY HEAT.

       Aërostatics.

       Weight of Air.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XII.

       Means and Appliances.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XIII. TELESCOPIC TUBES.—DIRECT ACTION.—DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT.—TREE-CLIMBING.—THE WHEEL.

       Means and Appliances (continued) .

       Locomotion.—Direct Action.

       Distribution of Weight.

       Tree-climbing.

       The Wheel.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XIV.

       Art.

       Stippling.

       Plaster Casts.

       Corrugated Iron.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XV.

       Electricity and Magnetism.

       Magnetism.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XVI. TILLAGE.—DRAINAGE.—SPIRAL PRINCIPLE.—CENTRIFUGAL FORCE.

       The Spiral.

       Centrifugal Force.

       USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XVII. OSCILLATION.—UNITED STRENGTH.—THE DOME.

       The Escapement.

       Union is Strength.

       Principle of the Dome.

       ACOUSTICS. CHAPTER I. PERCUSSION.—THE STRING AND REED.—THE TRUMPET.—EAR-TRUMPET.—STETHOSCOPE.

       The String and Reed.

       Acoustics as Aids to Surgery.

       Measurement of Sound.

       Echo.

       INDEX.

PREFACE.

       Table of Contents

      A GLANCE at almost any page of this work will denote its object. It is to show the close connection between Nature and human inventions, and that there is scarcely an invention of man that has not its prototype in Nature. And it is worthy of notice that the greatest results have been obtained from means apparently the most insignificant.

      There are two inventions, for example, which have changed the face of the earth, and which yet sprang from sources that were despised by men, and thought only fit for the passing sport of childhood. I allude, of course, to Steam and Electricity, both of which had been child’s toys for centuries before the