New-York daily tribune., 1864-04-16
sCIEyCE AND ART.
..r;ca. Institute Polytechnic Associ"'
tiOn.


regular meeting was held on ihufSu%y
evening April 7. in the Cooper Union DuNui"o % D'
TILLnAS, ESQ.,, occupied the chair
PERCEPTION OF MUSICAL SOUNDS.
DR. RowELL took the floor for the PURPOSE % mus
4rating by few experiments the statement uuo az ''
last meeting with regard to the 'ipinio"' N'." plo
duce musical sounds. IL was tnen s'a'eu '""' ~" P
oon.ior ~ sourd communicated through each ear, va
- ..o ouo irdiyidual and further that the pitch
no., ,he same in both ears; the last statement, al
though roade on published authority, he denied ana he
,,isbod 20 demonstrate this point. vibrating body
,Drurcates its vibrations 10 another solid OF more
.o,ded surface which materially increases the force
- vo,rme Of sound For instance the tuning-fork be
st nto vibration communicated vibrations to the ali
in ia immediate neighborhood which could only be
heard by placing the fork very his ear but when
e brought the handle of the vibrating fork in contact
with the table before him. the wood also vbrated aud
volume of sound was sent out which could be dis
tncty heard in every part of the This illustrates
the principle Of the sounding bOad which is applied
all stringed instruments. Every sonorous body has
note OF particular pitch which it gives when tits struck
and If the Same sound is made by voice. the vibrating
oir will have the power of impartng its rate OF motion
20 that body. Thus the glass he had before hin
was set into vibration by bis voice and gave forth hC
sound after his voice silent These called sym
pathetic vibrations. Now the human receives al
sounds but the tympanum must report the precise mum
Der of vibrations which the air has given; 1t seems
therefore, apparent that the person could not re-
gard the same sound as different In pitch when heard
first by ear. and then by the other.
Mr. GARvEY said he was not convinced py tne argu, m
ment just made. because sympathetic vibrations WIZ
not cOnGued to the number making single SOUND Ior
the octave third and fifth of that sound were as
Grated and In many were loud enough 10 oe
A STANDARD pIAPAsoN.
The CHAIRMAN said il might not be out Of place TO al
Jude to interesting fact with regard 10 lne
Many people suppose because we have an abundance o
timing forks we must have a permanent standard OF
mitch But the existence OF church bells several huuureu
wears old tuned at first to certain letters prove BY ihe
present sounds that the standard pitch has been raised
Considerably. italian concert pitch has always been
higher than that in ordinary The cause OF the
gradual ascent Of the diapason is RroogO{ 0wing 10
tuned by ffths; and that in m0duatlon by true INNS
which only be made by strnged instruments o the
violin class wind instruments having sliding tuDes
like the trombone there is constant tendency 10 over
lap "A true octave. Twelve nfths measured upward ex.
ceed seven octaves just the musical interval called
comma The sotOnic temperament OF all Instruments
having twelve fixed sounds within the octave Ike the
flute and piano. requires that and a should De more
acute than the true notes OF the natural scale distn'
gushed By these two letters. Conversations with The
distinguished composer WALLACE had confirmed this
opinion The musical world has not yet adopted q
standard diapasoD. France always foremost in metri
CA reforus several years since fixed the pitch OF at
s70 vibrations per second equivalent to 52 vibrations
for the middle &. Doubling this number will give the
consecutive ocayes above and halvng II the octayes
below 1t viii b. perceived that fractions mnst be in
zpoduced below 26l vibrations therefore many scientists,
among them Sir JOHN HEEscHEL have recommended
1he adoption of the pitch produced by 5 vibrations per
second us the middle c. Ii is the ninth octave OF an
imaginary sound having one vibration per second The
fourth octave is the lowest which makes such Impression
on the sense Of hearing give " the mind percep
THE PAIxHAN GUN.
Capt MAYNARD desired to correct statement made at
the last meeting that the Russians iDauguIated h0r
zonta shell firing. The fact is that the system is en-
tirely American. The gun for horizontal shell fring
was invented by Col BoAFoBD during the ndninistra
ton Of Jefferson which he desired 10 call the Jener.
sonad but the President was not military man he
declined the honor. Gen. PAIXHAS a French officer,
then In this country struck with the experinenso
Col BoMFORD and when lie returned to France he
brought out the system there and the gun was soon
known as the Paxhan. The gun Is the as that in
our forts called the Coiumbiad captain nov MAJOR.
General HALlEcK. his authority for making this
statement.
The CHAPMAN presented the following important
scientific intelligence:
CHANGES IN CHEESE.
NJ BLoSpRAU has examined the changes produced in
Roqueor Cheese when stored away in cellars 10 acquire
1he flavor which recommends it 10 the taste Of some
people he found fresh cheese contained
Fatty Matter. -...---.'---.-.....--...-. le9
Lactic Acid. ---....-....----...-....-..-- 30
Wafer. r............... .--.----........-...AI'o'
Total 10000
Amer being two months in cellar similar cheese
contained 100
Casein -1S'zo
hargar1n -Ie.oo
- Olein. .if.O
ButyTic Acid OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES .oI
Salt -..--!.---..-----..--..--..4 $40
ater. ..ls1V
Total .lOlOO