Georgian reading

The Marquess of Rothgar was, of course, very interested in science and engineering, and so he would be reading the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, which was first published in 1665. The word "philosophical" might mislead. It referred to "natural philosophy" which is what we now would call science.

This link will take you to content from 1765, round about the time of the current Malloren books.

The thing I love about this Enlightenment age is the keen desire for knowledge on all matters. This is a partial list of the contents and I've poked into a few to see what was there. You can click on them to read more.

CHINESE PHESANT XIV
CHELSEA GARDENS XV
BUOYANCY OF CORK XVI
ERGOT OF RYE XVII
HEAT XVIII
VOIDED STONE XIX
ASTRONOMICAL XX
HYDROPHOBIA XXI
TWO THEOREMS XXII
EVAPORATION XXIII
METEOROLOGICAL XXIV
SMALL POX XXIV

(This is a statistical account of the beneficial results of innoculation in parts of the American colonies.)
WOOL MANUFACTURE XXV

(A better way to weigh skeins of wool.)
AIR IN WATER XXVI
SALT ON WOUNDS XXVII

(Rattlesnake victims cured by sea salt. Could be of use in someone's novel!)
MICROSCOPES XXVIII
GREEN HEMLOCK XXIX
LIGHTNING XXX
(An account of a thunderstorm in Oxford, in which the lighting was red and people felt heat from it. It seems almost supernatural, and could form an interesting element to a paranormal historical. Some war between mages?)

In another issue I found An Account of the Success of the Bark of the Willow in the Cure of Agues.

In other words -- what we now know as aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid and its effects on pain.

Do you like to think that the heroes of Georgian romances were probably enjoying such publications and even contributing to them, or does it seem to geeky?

Jo

Comments

[Anne Roller]

Love this stuff!..(would have liked to know more about the ergot, though...)

[Jane O]

How could they not enjoy this stuff? It's fascinating, and you have now contributed to another wasted day for me!

[Lyn S]

As they say be nice to nerdy boys because they grow up to be hunky successful geeks.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Great stuff, Jo! A nice thing in the Georgian era was that one could come closer to knowing all the cutting edge science and engineering. These days--no way!

Since I like geeky guys in modern time, I've put at few in my books. After all, aristocrats were the ones who had the time and resources to pursue knowledge.

[Margot]

Personally, I've always liked geeky heroes. (Perhaps it has something to do with being Asian. And growing up surrounded by technology.) Both of my uncles, my mother's brother and my father's brother, are excessively geeky. One works for Google, and the other got a PhD from MIT and lives in a basement, writing strange books about Darwin. Or one, anyway. (Although the basement's really more of a family joke.)

Anyway, what that really boils down to is that I adore geeky heroes. Most recently, Sam Nolan in Rainshadow Road was adorable. And I definitely enjoy the thought of some lovely Georgian hero reading/writing for a publication like that. Georgians+geekiness=<3 (And that is most certainly a legitimate equation.)

[Jenny]

I like to think they were enjoying such publications, and exploring the topics. I love reading these old publications as well, just to see how far we have come. It is amazing how such thoughts stood the test of time. Please, some more geeks and nerds in romance!

[Jo Beverley]

Jo here. I have to say that I love the fact that a lot of the dangerous rakes and rogues were reading this stuff, too. Going to the Royal Society, debating natural philosophy in the coffee houses and such. Perhaps exceptionally well rounded gentlemen!

Jo

[Pageturner]

Wasn't this the period when people thought youcould actually know all that was to be known? If you just studied and read, you could master all knowledge? Instead of today, when people know more and more about less and less and everyone is a specialist?

[Isobel Carr]

I love those articles. I downloaded a TON of them when they were free a few years ago. I got all the ones about weather, and astronomy, and strange flora and fauna, and any medical ones I could find. I love using them in passing reference as things my characters are reading or discussing (or going to hear a lecture on).

[theo]

People have been reading since the first pictures were drawn on cave walls. I'd be surprised if they weren't reading this stuff. New then, old now, either way, it's still completely fascinating reading. And unfortunately for me, an easy way to get caught up in something to the pleasurable detriment of everything else! ;)

[Louis]

All the research and thoughts way back then are the basis of scientific research and thoughts of today.