The Magician's Own Book, or, the Whole Art of Conjuring / Being a complete hand-book of parlor magic, and containing over one thousand optical, chemical, mechanical, magnetical, and magical experiments, amusing transmutations, astonishing sleights and subtleties, celebrated card deceptions, ingenious tricks with numbers, curious and entertaining puzzles, together with all the most noted tricks of modern performers.

by George Arnold; Frank Cahill

Place four persons in front of the four sides, and at equal distances from the box, and then draw them up that they may see themselves in the mirrors, when each of them, instead of his own figure, will see that of the person next to him, but who will appear to him to be placed on the opposite side. Their confusion will be the greater, as it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for them to discover the mirrors concealed in the box. The reason of this phenomenon is evident; for though the rays of light may be turned aside by a mirror, yet they always appear to proceed in right lines.

THE PERSPECTIVE MIRROR.

Provide a box, A B C D, of about two feet long, fifteen inches wide, and 12 inches high. At the end A C, place the concave mirror, the focus of whose parallel rays is eighteen inches from the reflecting surface. At I L place a pasteboard, blacked, in which a hole is cut, sufficiently large to see on the mirror H the object placed at B E F D. Cover the top of the box, from A to I, close, that the mirror H may be entirely darkened. The other part, I B, must be covered with glass, under which is placed a gauze or oiled paper, to prevent the inside from being seen. Make an aperture at G, near the top of the side E B, beneath which, on the inside, place in succession, paintings of vistas, landscapes, figures, &c. so that they may be in front of the mirror H. Let the box be placed that the object may be strongly illuminated by the sun, or by wax-lights placed under the inclosed part of the box A I. By this simple construction, the objects placed at G D will be thrown into their natural perspective, and if the subjects be properly chosen and well executed, the appearance will be both wonderful and pleasing.

THE MAGICAL GYROSCOPE.

A little instrument has been constructed lately, exhibiting such remarkable results in connection with rotary motion, that it has greatly puzzled most of those who have witnessed its strange performances. Although many of our readers may have seen the instrument, yet from the numberless inquiries that have been made for the rationale of its peculiar feats, and also from the fact that we have not yet heard a solution that appears to be the true one, we are induced to furnish a brief description and explanation of the whole.

It consists of a brass wheel, B, four or five inches in diameter, with a thick lead rim, or circumference, so as to impart to the wheel when revolving rapidly sufficient momentum to cause it to spin for some minutes. The axis of this wheel terminates in pivots, set in a circular ring at right angles to the wheel, as the figure represents. Two small flat pieces of brass (A and C) are soldered outside to opposite sides of this ring, and a small cavity is made on the under side of each piece, so that the whole may rest on a pointed upright wire, placed in one of these cavities, this wire being inserted in a heavy metallic base to give it solidity. A small hole is made in the axis of the wheel, so that the end of a cord may be thrust through, the cord wound around it, and rapid motion imparted to the wheel like the spinning of a top. This constitutes the whole of the apparatus, which is shown in Fig. 1.

Now, by placing the wheel and its ring, on the upper end of the pointed wire, as shown in the figure, only one side being supported, the wheel and ring would of course, immediately fall by the force of gravity, there being no support at the other side, C. But if a rapid spinning motion is given to the wheel by means of the cord already described, and it be placed on the point at A, it will not fall, but will move slowly around on the upright point, performing a steady, revolving horizontal motion, as long as the rapid rotary motion of the wheel continues. So steady and uniform is this horizontal movement, that it generally suggests the motion of the planets round the sun.

This self-upholding property constitutes the wonder and puzzle of the instrument, and many explanations have been attempted. Some ascribe it to atmospheric influence; others to electricity; while others confidently remark, "Ah, yes, I understand it—it is the motion which keeps it from falling—it is the momentum—the centrifugal force;" but why this result is produced by centrifugal force, we are not told.