The Romance of Modern Mechanism

The Romance of Modern Mechanism - With Interesting Descriptions in Non-technical Language of Wonderful Machinery and Mechanical Devices and Marvellously Delicate Scientific Instruments

In the beginning a man depended for his subsistence entirely upon his own efforts, or upon those of his immediate relations and friends. Life was very simple in those days: luxury being unknown, and necessity the factor which guided man's actions at every turn. With infinite labour he ground a flint till it assumed the shape of a rough arrow-head, to be attached to a reed and shot into the heart of some wild beast as soon as he had approached close enough to be certain of his quarry. The meat thus obtained he seasoned with such roots and herbs as nature provideda poor and scanty choice. Presently he discovered that certain grains supported life much better than roots, and he became an agriculturist. But the grain must be ground; so he invented a simple milla small stone worked by hand over a large one; and when this method proved too tedious he so shaped the stones' surfaces that they touched at all points, and added handles by which the upper stone could be revolved. With the discovery of bronze, and, many centuries later, of iron, his workshop equipment rapidly improved. He became an expert boat- and house-builder, and multiplied weapons of offence and defence. Gradually separate [vi] crafts arose. One man no longer depended on his individual efforts, but was content to barter his own work for the products of another man's labour, because it became evident that specialisation promoted excellence of manufacture. A second great step in advance was the employment of machinery, which, when once fashioned by hand, saved an enormous amount of time and troublethe pump, the blowing bellows, the spinning-wheel, the loom. But all had to be operated by human effort, sometimes replaced by animal power. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 46094
Author: Williams, Archibald
Release Date: Jun 25, 2014
Format: eBook
Language: English