Nature’s Teachings

About this eBook

Author

Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889

Title

Nature's Teachings: Human Invention Anticipated by Nature

Credits

Produced by Chris Curnow, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Language

English

LoC Class

Q: Science

Subject

Inventions

Category

Text

Project Gutenberg

eBook-No. 53300

Release Date

October 17, 2016

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.NATURE’S TEACHINGS HUMAN INVENTION ANTICIPATED BY NATURE
2. 2.PREFACE.
3. 3.CONTENTS.
4. 4.NAUTICAL. CHAPTER I. — The Raft. — The Boat.
5. 5.NAUTICAL. CHAPTER II. THE OAR, THE PADDLE, AND THE SCREW.
6. 6.NAUTICAL. CHAPTER III. SUBSIDIARY APPLIANCES.— Part I.
7. 7.NAUTICAL. CHAPTER IV. SUBSIDIARY APPLIANCES.— Part II.
8. 8.NAUTICAL. CHAPTER V. SUBSIDIARY APPLIANCES. Part III. — The Boat-hook and Punt-pole. — The Life-buoy and Pontoon-raft .
9. 9.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER I. THE PITFALL, THE CLUB, THE SWORD, THE SPEAR AND DAGGER. — The Pitfall. — The Club. — The Sword. — The Spear and the Dagger.
10. 10.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER II. POISON, ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE.—PRINCIPLE OF THE BARB. — Animal Poisons. — Vegetable Poisons. — Natural Animal Poisons. — Natural Vegetable Poisons. — The Barb.
11. 11.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER III. PROJECTILE WEAPONS AND THE SHEATH.
12. 12.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER IV. — The Net. — The Rod and Line. — The Spring-trap. — The Baited Trap. — Birdlime.
13. 13.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER V. — Reverted Spikes. — Spiked Defences. — Tearing Weapons.
14. 14.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER VI. THE HOOK.—DEFENSIVE ARMOUR.—THE FORT. — The Hook. — Armour. — The Fort.
15. 15.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER VII. SCALING INSTRUMENTS.—DEFENCE OF FORT.—IMITATION.—THE FALL-TRAP. — Scaling Instruments. — Defence of Fort. — Imitation. — The Fall-trap.
16. 16.WAR AND HUNTING. CHAPTER VIII. CONCEALMENT.—DISGUISE.—THE TRENCH.—POWER OF GRAVITY.—MISCELLANEA. — Concealment. — Disguise. — The Trench. — Gravity as a Propulsive Agent. — Miscellanea.
17. 17.ARCHITECTURE. CHAPTER I. — The Hut. — Floors and Pillars. — Tunnel Entrance to the Dwelling. — Doors and Hinges.
18. 18.ARCHITECTURE. CHAPTER II. — Mud Walls. — Porches, Eaves, and Windows.
19. 19.ARCHITECTURE. CHAPTER III. — The Window. — Girders, Ties, and Buttresses. — The Tunnel used as a Passage. — The Suspension-bridge.
20. 20.ARCHITECTURE. CHAPTER IV. — The Dam. — Subterranean Dwellings. — The Pyramid. — Subaquatic Mortar.—Paint and Varnish.
21. 21.TOOLS. CHAPTER I. THE DIGGING-STICK.—SPADE.—SHEARS AND SCISSORS.—CHISEL AND ADZE.—THE PLANE AND SPOKESHAVE. — The Spade. — Shears and Scissors. — The Chisel and the Adze. — The Plane and Spokeshave.
22. 22.TOOLS. CHAPTER II. THE SAW AND ITS VARIETIES. — The Ribbon Saw, Cordon or Band Saw. — The Circular Saw.
23. 23.TOOLS. CHAPTER III. BORING TOOLS.—STRIKING TOOLS.—GRASPING TOOLS. — Boring Tools. — Striking Tools. — Grasping Tools.
24. 24.TOOLS. CHAPTER IV. POLISHING TOOLS.—MEASURING TOOLS. — Files and Sand-papers. — Tools of Measurement. — The Spirit-level. — Callipers.
25. 25.OPTICS. CHAPTER I. THE MISSIONS OF HISTORY.—THE CAMERA OBSCURA.—LONG AND SHORT SIGHT.—STEREOSCOPE AND PSEUDOSCOPE.—MULTIPLYING-GLASSES. — The Camera Obscura and the Eye. — Long and Short Sight. — The Stereoscope and Pseudoscope. — The Multiplying-glass.
26. 26.OPTICS. CHAPTER II. THE WATER TELESCOPE.—IRIS OF THE EYE.—MAGIC LANTERN.—THE SPECTROSCOPE.—THE THAUMATROPE. — The Water Telescope. — The Iris of the Eye. — The Magic Lantern. — The Spectroscope. — The Thaumatrope.
27. 27.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER I. PRIMITIVE MAN AND HIS NEEDS.—EARTHENWARE.—BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT.—TOGGLE OR KNEE JOINT. — Earthenware. — Ball-and-socket Joint. — The Toggle or Knee Joint.
28. 28.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER II. CRUSHING INSTRUMENTS.—THE NUT-CRACKERS, ROLLING-MILL, AND GRINDSTONE.—PRESSURE OF ATMOSPHERE.—SEED DIBBLES AND DRILLS. — Crushing Instruments. — The Rolling-mill. — The Grindstone. — Pressure of Atmosphere. — Seed-drills.
29. 29.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER III. CLOTH-DRESSING.—BRUSHES AND COMBS.—BUTTONS, HOOKS AND EYES, AND CLASP. — Cloth-dressing Machine. — Brushes. — Combs. — Buttons, Hooks and Eyes, and Clasp.
30. 30.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER IV. THE STOPPER, OR CORK.—THE FILTER. — The Stopper, or Cork. — The Filter.
31. 31.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER V. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SPRING.—THE ELASTIC SPRING.—ACCUMULATORS.—THE SPIRAL SPRING. — Elastic Springs. — The Spiral Spring.
32. 32.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER VI. SPIRAL AND RINGED TISSUES.—VARIOUS SPRINGS IN NATURE AND ART. — Spiral and Ringed Tissues. — Diving and Divers. — The Leaping Spring.
33. 33.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER VII. FOOD AND COMFORT.
34. 34.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER VIII. DOMESTIC COMFORT.
35. 35.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER IX. ARTIFICIAL WARMTH.—RING AND STAPLE.—THE FAN. — Artificial Warmth. — Ring and Staple. — The Fan. — Burial.
36. 36.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER X. WATER, AND MEANS OF PROCURING IT.
37. 37.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XI. AËROSTATICS.—WEIGHT OF AIR.—EXPANSION BY HEAT. — Aërostatics. — Weight of Air.
38. 38.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XII. — Means and Appliances.
39. 39.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.
40. 40.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XIV. — Art. — Stippling. — Plaster Casts. — Corrugated Iron.
41. 41.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XV. — Electricity and Magnetism. — Magnetism.
42. 42.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XVI. TILLAGE.—DRAINAGE.—SPIRAL PRINCIPLE.—CENTRIFUGAL FORCE. — The Spiral. — Centrifugal Force.
43. 43.USEFUL ARTS. CHAPTER XVII. OSCILLATION.—UNITED STRENGTH.—THE DOME. — The Escapement. — Union is Strength. — Principle of the Dome.
44. 44.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.
45. 45.INDEX.

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