University of Virginia Library

4.—NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.

Professor Patterson.—The course of lectures in this

school is divided into two parts, each 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, Crystallization,
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-book hitherto used is Cavallo's Natural Philosophy;
but it is intended to introduce, at the next session,
Lardner and Kater's Mechanics, Lardner's Hydrostatics and
Pneumatics, Brewster's Optics, and the Treatises on Heat,
Electricity, Galvanism, Magnetism, and Electro Magnetism,
in the Library of Useful Knowledge.

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.