Acoustics

— IX —

by sending such books that I otherwise would not have been able to use, such as Court Councilor Blumenbach in Göttingen, Court Councilor Voigt in Jena, Professor Hindenburg in Leipzig, and Professor Eberhard in Halle; by the permission to make use of his own books just as if they were my own, as did Doctor and Professor Langguth here in Wittenberg, who has acquired more books and apparatus for most branches of natural history (Naturkunde) In this context, "Naturkunde" refers to the broad study of the natural sciences, including physics and biology. than could be expected of him given the meager support associated with the professorship of physics; to all of these, I am very grateful for their kindness.

It remains to say something regarding the prejudices which have been a hindrance to further progress in acoustics (Akustik) and have caused a very one-sided treatment of this part of natural science. Although they have already been mentioned in this book as the occasion arose, it will perhaps not be superfluous to say something more about them here, in order to make many people more attentive to avoiding them.

One of the most common prejudices is that the essence of sound original: "Schall" always consists in vibrations of the air. Only recently, prompted by some remarks of mine, have many physics textbooks no longer presented the theory of sound under the theory of air, but rather, as is more appropriate, under the theory of motion; however, various physical and musical writers still cannot break away from the way of thinking as if for every sound (even when it propagates through solid and liquid (tropfbarflüßige) Literally "drippable-fluid," an archaic term for liquids as opposed to gases. materials, and reaches our sensation in a way other than through the outer ear), a trembling of the air were necessary. The air is indeed the most common medium for the transmission of sound; but that it is not absolutely necessary for it follows already from the very first concept of a sound. This consists, namely, in a rapid trembling motion of any body; if, therefore, materials of any kind, be it air or something