An introduction to the theory of electricity

ABSTRACT MR. CUMMING deserves our thanks for having made an effort to introduce into elementary teaching the advances in the treatment of electricity made chiefly by the labours of Green,

Thomson, and Clerk-Maxwell. Mr. Cumming possesses all the qualifications necessary for such a task. He evidently has a full knowledge of the subject, and seems to possess, in addition,

experience as a teacher. He has had, no doubt, great difficulties to encounter. These difficulties are not alone due to the limitations as to the mathematicial knowledge of his readers,

which Mr. Cumming has justly imposed on himself. The books and papers out of which Mr. Gumming had to take his material, were written from various points of view, and they were chiefly

addressed by scientific men to scientific men. It was natural that the same words should not be always used exactly in the same sense, the great object being that men already possessing a

knowledge of the subject should understand each other. It is only when the knowledge of a certain subject is comparatively advanced that the terms settle down into a definite meaning. A text

book, on the other hand, is addressed to students who at the most have only a slight acquaintance with the subject, and it should not only teach that particular subject, but also scientific

method, and scientific reasoning. It is, therefore, of primary importance that the precise meaning of the term should be scrupulously adhered to. Even a good definition does not always

ensure this, for there is often a metaphysical colouring which does not come out in the definition, but which we soon discover in the way a term is used. We take one example. The word

potential is defined by Sir Wm. Thomson thus:— An Introduction to the Theory of Electricity. By Linnæus Cumming, M.A. (London: Macmillan and Co,, 1876.) Access through your institution Buy

or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and

online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes

which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support Authors * ARTHUR SCHUSTER View

author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE SCHUSTER, A. _An

Introduction to the Theory of Electricity_ . _Nature_ 15, 526–527 (1877). https://doi.org/10.1038/015526a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 19 April 1877 * DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/015526a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently

available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative