University of Virginia Library

IV.—NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.

Professor Patterson.—The course of lectures in this school is
divided into two parts, each of which is followed by a general written
examination of the students. The first part treats of the properties of
ponderable bodies, and includes Statics, Dynamics, Hydrostatics, Hydrodynamics,
Pneumatics, Crystalization, Molecular and Capillary Attraction,
Strength and Stress of Materials, and Acoustics. The second
part comprises Heat, (including Meteorology and the Steam-engine,)
Electricity and Galvanism, Magnetism and Electro Magnetism, Optics,
Astronomy.

The text-books used are, Lardner and Kater's Mechanics, Lardner's
Hydrostatics and Pneumatics, Brewster's Optics, the Treatises
on Heat, Electricity, Galvanism, Magnetism, and Electro Magnetism,
in the Library of Useful Knowledge, and Herschel's Astronomy.

As the enactments require only an acquaintance with arithmetic in
order to enter this school, mathematical demonstrations, though not
avoided by the Professor, are not required of the students of the general
class. But the candidates for graduation form a separate class,
and are taught the applications of elementary mathematics,, (Algebra
Geometry, and Trigonometry,) to Natural Philosophy. The application
of the higher calculus belongs to the school of Mathematics.

The Apparatus provided for the school of Natural Philosophy is very
extensive and complete, and thus enables the Professor to illustrate
every part of his course by experiments in the presence of his class.
An Observatory, with its appropriate astronomical instruments, is also
attached to this school.