Elements of Natural Philosophy: Arranged Under the Following Heads: Matter and Motion, The Universe, The Solar System, The Fixed Stars, The Earth Considered as a Planet, The Atmosphere, Meteors, Springs, Rivers, and the Sea, Fossils, Plants, Animals, The Human Frame, and The Human Understanding

Front Cover
D. & G. Bruce, 1808 - 272 pages
 

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 133 - All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Page 247 - Consider what an affair this is, when we come to very large animals. The aorta of a whale is larger in the bore than the main pipe of the waterworks at London Bridge ; and the water roaring in its passage through that pipe is inferior, in impetus and velocity, to the blood gushing from the whale's heart.
Page 269 - First, Knowledge, whereby it certainly perceives, and is undoubtedly satisfied of the agreement or disagreement of any ideas. Secondly, Judgment, which is the putting ideas together, or separating them from one another in the mind, when their certain agreement or disagreement is not perceived, but presumed to be so ; which is, as the word imports, taken to be so before it certainly appears.
Page 64 - Huygens carried his thoughts so far, as to believe it not impossible that there may be stars at such inconceivable distances, that their light has not yet reached the earth since its creation ; although the velocity of light be a million of times greater than the velocity of a cannon bullet ; and, as Mr.
Page 40 - The circumference of every circle is supposed to be divided into 360 equal parts, called degrees ; each degree into 60 equal parts, called minutes ; and each minute into 60 equal parts, called seconds.
Page 267 - Knowledge then seems to me to be nothing but the perception of the connexion and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy, of any of our ideas.
Page 41 - Also two lots in the same place, one on the north side and the other on the south side of the above lot, purchased for me by Joseph Watkins.
Page 237 - ... easy motion. This is most happily provided for, by the cartilages and mucus of the joints. The interstices of all these parts must be filled up with some soft and ductile matter, which shall keep them in their places, unite them, and at the same time allow them to move a little upon one another ; these purposes are answered by the cellular membrane, or adipose substance.
Page 19 - And thus nature will be very conformable to herself and very simple, performing all the great motions of the heavenly bodies by the attraction of gravity which intercedes those bodies and almost all the small ones of their particles by some other attractive and repelling powers which intercede the particles.
Page 236 - ... a thousand accidents in life. Moreover, the mind, in this corporeal system, must be endued with the power of moving from place to place, that she may have intercourse with a variety of objects ; that she may fly from such as are disagreeable, dangerous, or hurtful, and pursue such as are pleasant...

Bibliographic information