HELMHOLTZ, HERMANN von. - THE PRELUDE TO "ÜBER DIE ERHALTUNG DER KRAFT" AND HIS FIRST PAPER ON FORCE CONSERVATION

Physiologische Wärmeerscheinungen. Bericht "über die Theorie der physiologischen Wärmeerscheinungen für 1845" (Report on the Work done on the Theory of Animal Heat in 1845).

Berlin, G. Reimer, 1847. Contemp. hcalf, profusely gilt spine. Light wear along edges. XXXII,622 pp. In: "Fortschritte der Physik im Jahre 1845. Dargestellt von der physikalischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin". I. Jahrgang. Redigirt von G. Karsten. XXXII,622 pp. A stamp on titlepage. Helmholtz's paper: pp. 346-355. Clean and fine.

First appearance of this milestone paper which represents the first, and most importent, step towards his great work laid down in "Über die Erhaltung der Kraft", 1847. This is Helmholtz' FIRST PAPER ON THE CONSERVATION OF FORCE

"At the beginning of October, 1846, Helnmholtz sent a 'Report on Work done on the Theory of Animal Heat for 1845', at du Bois' request, to the "Fortschritte der Physik", issued by the Physical Society. (the paper offered). This was merely an abstract from the article in the Encyclopaedic Dictionary.....BUT IT ANTICIPATES MORE DEFINITELY THE CONDCLUSIONS OF HIS GREAT WORK. He states without hesitation that the material theory of heat is no longer tenable, and that a kinetic theory must be substituted for it, since heat originates in mechanical forces, either directly by friction, or indirectly from an electrical current produced by themotion of magnets. This conception of heat as a motion involves the conclusion that mechanical, electrical and chemical forces must always be the definite equivalent of one and the same energy, whatever the mode by which one force is transformed into another. The empirical confirmation of this law must be the imperative duty of physicists and physiologists."(Leo Koenigsberger in "Hermann von Helmholtz", pp. 34-35).

"In the "Fortschritte der Physik" for 1845, which appeared in 1847, Helmholtz published a report on theories of physiological heat which he later acknowledged as belonging to his work on the conversation of force."(Jungnickel & McCormach "Intellectual Masteryof Nature, Vol. 1, p. 157).

Order-nr.: 45604