Conservation and Innovation : Helmholtz's Struggle with Energy ...

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important also for Helmholtz's understanding of energy conservation: it was in fact the only experimental research in this field that he made. Helmholtz's understanding and evaluation of the mechanical equivalent of heat is probably to be connected with this very research 64. In the next section I will show that the entire Erhaltung only offered a theoretical reinterpretation of known results, but no new experiments. In my view physiology could not and did not provide a key to Helmholtz's conservation of "force": it did not offer theoretical nor experimental evidence for the establishment of the principle of force correlation (the refusal of vital force was, rather, based on an already accepted impossibility of perpetual motion). Nevertheless it did provide Helmholtz with an interesting battleground and his only original experimental data 65. The Erhaltung and its two different conceptual roots: the impossibility of perpetual motion and the Newtonian forces hypothesis.(1847) From October 1846 to July 1847 Helmholtz, not distracted but rather inspired by his love and engagement with Olga von Velten 66, worked hard at the Erhaltung. But we already know that this was not his only commitment: at the same time he was also involved with experiments on the heat produced during muscular action. Koenigsberger asserts that in the first quarter of 1847 Helmholtz had formulated his ideas on energy conservation and had tested them with 64 This point is made by Lenoir ibid. P.211, even if details are not given. This interpretation offers a clue to Koenigsberger's already recalled claims of deep experimentation carried forward by Helmholtz in 1846-47. See also Kremer ibid.P.244. Olesko & Holmes "Experiment" P.34. 65 See also Koenigsberger, Leo. "The Investigations of Hermann von Helmholtz on The Fundamental Principles of Mathematics and Mechanics." In Annual Report of the Smith Inst to July 1986. Washington 1898. Pp.93-124. P.101. 66 See the dedication, afterwards withdrawn, on the manuscript of the Erhaltung: Helmholtz, Hermann.Über die Erhaltung der Kraft . Christa Kirsten ed. Weinheim: Physik- Verlag, 1983, P.14; see also Koenigsberger H v H Pp.35-7.
experiments in the most disparate branches of physiology and physics 67. This claim is difficult to accept: actually the Erhaltung, as I am about to show, does not have a specific experimental character, nor does it offer new experimental results. The only possible interpretation of Koenigsberger's claim is to relate all of Helmholtz's experimental activity of the period to the parallel researches on heat and muscular action, that is to the preparation of his sixth paper. The 23rd of July 1847 the Erhaltung was presented, with great success, at the Physikalische Gesellschaft. However, Magnus' and Poggendorff's judgements were not so warm and publication in the Annalen was denied. The essay was finally published at Reimer. Reimer's edition 68 of the Erhaltung consists of 1) an Introduction, of methodological and philosophical character, and six chapters. The first two 67 Koenigsberger: ibid.P.37 68 Different editions and translations of the Erhaltung have been published: A) the transcription of the penultimate manuscript: Helmholtz, Hermann.Über die Erhaltung der Kraft . Christa Kirsten ed. Weinheim: Physik-Verlag, 1983; B) Reimer's edition: Helmholtz, Hermann. Über die Erhaltung der Kraft, eine physikalische Abhandlung . Berlin: G.Reimer, 1847; C) the "historical" translation of Tyndall: Helmholtz, Hermann. "On the Conservation of Force; a Physical Memoir." Trans.John Tyndall. In Scientific Memoirs-Natural Philosophy, Tyndall and Francis (eds.), vol. I, p.II, London,1853:114-162; D) a French translation, probably prompted by Clausius (see Wolff's "Clausius"): Helmholtz, Hermann. Mémoire sur la conservation de la force précédé d'un exposé élémentaire de la transformation des forces naturelles, trans L.Pérard. Paris: V.Masson et Fils, 1869; E) Helmholtz's own reprint in the W A 1 of 1882. This edition includes some footnotes and six appendix; moreover the only final note of Reimer's edition is included in the text: Helmholtz, Hermann. "Über die Erhaltung der Kraft" in WA1 , 1882, pp.12-75; F) the reprint in Ostwald's series. Here the 1882 footnotes do not appear: Helmholtz, Hermann. Über die Erhaltung der Kraft, eine physikalische Abhandlung . In Ostwalds Klassiker der Exacten Wissenschaften . Nr.1. Leipzig: W.Engelmann, 1889; G) an Italian translation, accurate but without the 1882 footnotes: Helmholtz, Hermann. "Sulla Conservazione della Forza." In Opere . V.Cappelletti ed. Torino: UTET, 1967 : 49-116; H) a new English translation, in my view controversial: Helmholtz, Hermann. "The Conservation of Force: a Physical Memoir." In Selected Writings of Hermann von Helmholtz . R.Kahl ed. Middletown: Wesleyan U.P., 1971: 3-55; I) a third English translation, whiggish (Conservation of Energy ) but with comments: Helmholtz, Hermann. "On the Conservation of Energy." In Applications of Energy: Nineteenth Century . R.Bruce Lindsay ed. Stroudsburg: Dowden Hutchinson & Ross, 1976, Pp. 7-31 and 226-243.
Page 1 and 2: Fabio Bevilacqua Conservation and I
Page 3 and 4: different formulations 4 and priori
Page 5 and 6: and interesting results, despite th
Page 7 and 8: principle of correlation is express
Page 9 and 10: principle to the existing empirical
Page 11 and 12: the origin and meaning of the princ
Page 13 and 14: Whether physiological research, apa
Page 15 and 16: In a discussion on the origins of a
Page 17 and 18: his "Wärme" that one of the differ
Page 19 and 20: generate a determined equivalent of
Page 21: "Bericht", despite the application
Page 25 and 26: The premise reveals that the struct
Page 27 and 28: intelligible if it can be referred
Page 29 and 30: elevant consequence of the deductio
Page 31 and 32: Needless to say the plan was to be
Page 33 and 34: and from here that the direction an
Page 35 and 36: since Leonardo 113; the "ad nihilum
Page 37 and 38: But unfortunately for the whole str
Page 39 and 40: The principle of conservation of vi
Page 41 and 42: different from the one joining the
Page 43 and 44: "The equality that exists between e
Page 45 and 46: In virtue of its limitations to New
Page 47 and 48: Helmholtz, while asserting that lig
Page 49 and 50: the temperature of 1 Kg of water ca
Page 51 and 52: In his search for a mechanical equi
Page 53 and 54: had already been achieved in the Be
Page 55 and 56: approach is discussed at length and
Page 57 and 58: and unaware of Green's results190,
Page 59 and 60: potential function 201. It is worth
Page 61 and 62: and judged unreliable, despite prov
Page 63 and 64: The relevance of the first question
Page 65 and 66: principle taking this potential int
Page 67 and 68: Finally we get to the real conclusi
Page 69 and 70: conservation 234, on the theory of
Page 71 and 72: for the mechanical equivalent of he
Page 73 and 74:
The controversy started with some r
Page 75 and 76:
where μ are immovable masses, m th
Page 77 and 78:
demonstration criticised by Clausiu
Page 79 and 80:
directions that join them and whose
Page 81 and 82:
quotes 288 and criticises a proposi
Page 83 and 84:
motion to all natural forces, the k
Page 85 and 86:
measure this expenditure and compar
Page 87 and 88:
" ...the quantity of force in natur
Page 89 and 90:
forces is constant: but it relates
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experiences in general laws of unli
Page 93 and 94:
"a series of important and difficul
Page 95 and 96:
the Discontinuous Movements of Flui
Page 97 and 98:
methodology. Dühring claimed the c
Page 99 and 100:
The first history of the conservati
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while in Britain for the above talk
Page 103 and 104:
apply it to acoustics (1859), hydro
Page 105 and 106:
magnetic intensity. Maxwell realize
Page 107 and 108:
and the electrostatic In modern not
Page 109 and 110:
of conservation of energy: it is re
Page 111 and 112:
efuted. But again in 1881 Helmholtz
Page 113 and 114:
But was important here is that desp
Page 115 and 116:
The second (1892-94), follows the i
Page 117 and 118:
while the electromagnetic and the s
Page 119 and 120:
can modify its specific theoric for
Page 121 and 122:
considered relevant. In Poincarè
Page 123 and 124:
meaning left is: "There is somethin
Page 125 and 126:
interpretations at the beginning of
Page 127 and 128:
while fighting metaphisicians, he w
Page 129 and 130:
literature 456. There is an intrins
Page 131 and 132:
assertion is surprising: it has lon
Page 133 and 134:
Kant was a Naturphilosophe 480. The
Page 135 and 136:
condition that work done by the for
Page 137 and 138:
histories cites these (Hirn's) arti
Page 139 and 140:
) the experimental determinations o
Page 141 and 142:
force principle 522. Elkana tried t
Page 143 and 144:
Blüh, Otto. "The Value of Inspirat
Page 145 and 146:
Graetz, L. "Das Mechanische Wärme
Page 147 and 148:
Helmholtz, Hermann. "Bericht über
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Helmholtz, Hermann. Wissenschaftlic
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Madison: Wisconsin U.P., 1959. Pp.
Page 153 and 154:
Poincarè, Henry. Electricité et O
Page 155:
Yagi, Eri."Clausius's Mathematical
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