An account of the mechanism of an automaton, or image playing on the German-flute: as it was presented in a memoire, to the gentlemen of the Royal-Academy of Sciences at Paris ... By M.V., inventor ... of the ... machine. Together with a description of an artificial duck, eating, drinking, macerating the food, and voiding excrements; pluming her wings, picking her feathers, and performing several operations in imitation of a living duck ... as also that of another image, no less wonderful than the first, playing on the tabor and pipe ... / Translated out of the French original, by J.T. Desaguliers.

  • Vaucanson, Jacques de, 1709-1782
Date:
1742
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the mechanism of an automaton, or image playing on the German-flute: as it was presented in a memoire, to the gentlemen of the Royal-Academy of Sciences at Paris ... By M.V., inventor ... of the ... machine. Together with a description of an artificial duck, eating, drinking, macerating the food, and voiding excrements; pluming her wings, picking her feathers, and performing several operations in imitation of a living duck ... as also that of another image, no less wonderful than the first, playing on the tabor and pipe ... / Translated out of the French original, by J.T. Desaguliers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    . ,» first part. * My firft Care has been to examine the Mouth of Wind- In fir u men ts, to know well how to get Sound out of them* what Parts contribute to produce it, and how it may be modified. You know. Gentlemen, that the Mouth of a German Flute differs from that of the other Wind-Inftruments, fuch as the common Flute, the Flageolet, and the Organ-Pipe; becaufe in thefe laft the Wind introduced at a narrow Hole, but which is determined, flrikes the Parts of the Body of the Inftrument which are immediately under it, as the Bezel ; and by the Quicknefs of its Return, and its Re-a6l- ion upon the fmall Parts round about it, it fuffers a vio¬ lent Collifion : Thus communicating its Vibrations to all the Parts of the Wood of the Flute, which in their Turn communicate them to the external Air round about them, it produces in us the Senfation of Sound - But in th© Cm Flute the Mouth is undetermined, becaufe in that Inftrument the Wind paffes through a great¬ er or fmaller Iffue, made by the greater or lefs Opening of the Lips, as they approach towards, or recede from each other ; as they come nearer to, or are further from the Hole of the Flute; or as they advance more or lefs over the faid Hole. All thefe Differences, which I reduce to four in the Mouth of the German-Flute, make it, in playing upon i capable of a very great Number of Perfeétions, which are wanting in other Wind-Inftruments, whofe Mouth is determin'd; which I fhall Ihew in explaining thofe Motions. The Sound being firft produced by the Vibration of the Air, and the fmall Parts of the Body of the plute, “ ' is