Dictionary of Physics or an Attempt at an Explanation of the Most Important Concepts and Technical Terms of Natural Philosophy

Preface.

of acquaintance with the newer discoveries of the English and Germans, or a preference for his nation and the school that taught him, misleads him all too often to remain stuck with old systems that have long since been displaced, as, for example, in the theory of electricity, Du Fay, Nollet, and Jallabert are his only heroes. I therefore completely abandoned the thought of translating one of these works and believed it better to do it myself by attempting to compile a dictionary more appropriate to the present state of our physical knowledge.

How this attempt has turned out, and whether it is worth the effort to continue it, the judgment of the experts and the reception of this first part of my work will decide. I have laid out the plan for it in such a way that I hope to complete the whole within a few years in four volumes. As long as my professional duties do not yet fill all the hours I am permitted to apply to work, I know of no greater pleasure than the thought of having effected something useful through my modest knowledge of mathematics and natural philosophy. And since this is the only purpose of my efforts, every well-founded criticism and every friendly piece of advice will be welcome to me, and if it