FIRST LESSONS
IN
Natural Philosophy
FOR BEGINNERS.
BY
JOSEPH C. MARTINDALE, M.D.,
LATE PRINCIPAL OF MADISON GRAMMAR SCHOOL, PHILADELPHIA; AUTHOR OF A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS, ETC.
PHILADELPHIA:
ELDREDGE & BROTHER,
No. 17 North Seventh Street.
1881.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by
ELDREDGE & BROTHER,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
J. FAGAN A SON,
ELECTROTYPERS, PHILAD’A.
KEYSTONE PRESS OF WM. J. DORNAN
Preface.
In preparing this little work, our desire has been to affordboth pleasure and profit to those who may read or study itspages.
The most interesting, as well as the most useful things to us,are those with which we meet in every-day life; but we musthave some knowledge of these things, ere we can contemplatethem with much pleasure, or use them to our greatest profit.
Simple truths in natural science may be learned at an earlyage; for it requires no more than the ordinary intelligence possessedby boys and girls to understand them. Such facts arenot only valuable in themselves, but they are also useful indisciplining the mind by teaching it to observe the manychanges constantly going on around us, and to reason and reflectin regard to the same. Habits of observation and reflectionthus formed are likely to go with us through life; andthey may prove a blessing in a thousand ways; for they willnot only add to our comfort and our enjoyment, but they willalso produce many a pleasing thought.
We have endeavored to make a book that can be easily understood;but few scientific terms will be found in it, for its languageis the language in familiar use; hence, it may serve tointerest the fireside circle, and it may be referred to by intelligentviboys and girls for answers to the many perplexing questionswhich are so often presented to their inquiring minds.
Many pupils have not the chance to attend even an Academyor a High School. It is to such that this book is especiallyadapted, for it is believed to contain as much matter as can betaught with satisfaction and profit in our public or our privateschools; but to other pupils, it will prove a valuable introductionto larger and more comprehensive works.
Whenever a drawing would illustrate a fact, and make itsapplication plainer, it has been made; but by far the best illustrationsof hundreds of facts, explained in the text, will befound in the world around us, and the attention of both pupiland teacher should always be directed to this reliable andnever-ending source.
In presenti