To John Franklin Dear Brother Philada. Dec. 8. 1752 Reflecting yesterday on your Desire to have a flexible Catheter, a Thought struck into my Mind how one might possibly be made: And lest you should not readily conceive it by any Description of mine, I went immediately to the Silversmith’s, and gave Directions for making…
All posts in Eras
The Kite Experiment
As frequent Mention is made in the News Papers from Europe, of the Success of the Philadelphia Experiment for drawing the Electric Fire from Clouds by Means of pointed Rods of Iron erected on high Buildings, &c. it may be agreeable to the Curious to be inform’d, that the same Experiment has succeeded in Philadelphia,…
The Magical Circle
To Peter Collinson SIR, I am glad the perusal of the magical squares afforded you any amusement. I now send you the magical circle. Its properties, besides those mentioned in my former, are these. Half the number in any radial row, added with half the A Magic Circle of Circles. central number, make 180, equal…
The Arithmetical Curiosity
To Peter Collinson SIR, According to your request, I now send you the Arithmetical Curiosity, of which this is the history. Being one day in the country, at the house of our common friend, the late learned Mr. Logan, he shewed me a folio French book, filled with magic squares, wrote, if I forget not,…
Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, &c.
1. Tables of the Proportion of Marriages to Births, of Deaths to Births, of Marriages to the Numbers of Inhabitants, &c. form’d on Observations made upon the Bills of Mortality, Christnings, &c. of populous Cities, will not suit Countries; nor will Tables form’d on Observations made on full settled old Countries, as Europe, suit new…