Gunpowder and Ammunition, Their Origin and Progress — Reading Notes

Distinguishing Incendiary from Explosive

Hime repeatedly insists on a clear distinction between mixtures that burn fiercely and those that detonate. He quotes Bacon on a child's toy made of parchment that bursts with a noise louder than thunder and a flash brighter than lightning. Hime argues that an incendiary would have burned the paper before pressure built, so the toy must have contained an explosive—gunpowder. This logical deduction, grounded in the physics of combustion, typifies Hime's approach: he uses the reported effects to infer the composition, rather than relying solely on textual labels.

The Role of Saltpetre Purity

Hime suggests that Bacon may have discovered gunpowder accidentally when experimenting with incendiary compositions made with pure instead of impure saltpetre. The mixture exploded unexpectedly, shattering nearby apparatus. Hime compares this to Haüy's accidental discovery of crystal structure and Malus's chance observation of double refraction. By framing the discovery as a serendipitous event, Hime avoids overstating Bacon's intent while still crediting him with recognizing the explosive potential. The passage reveals Hime's willingness to speculate cautiously when evidence is incomplete.

Chemical Tables and Historical Prices

The book includes extensive tables: methods of refining saltpetre, compositions of English and foreign powders at various times, and even the price of metals in 1375 versus 1865. One table shows the connection between grain size, muzzle velocity, and pressure. These tables ground Hime's historical narrative in quantifiable data, allowing readers to compare technological progress across centuries. The inclusion of cost comparisons—such as the price of metals—reflects Hime's military background, emphasizing practical logistics over mere chronology.

Bacon's Limited Knowledge of Projection

Hime notes that while Bacon understood gunpowder's explosive force, there is no evidence he knew of its projective power. Hime argues that small-scale experiments in open air would not reveal the force generated under pressure in a gun barrel. This distinction between explosion and projection is crucial to Hime's narrative: it separates the discovery of gunpowder from its military application. Hime's careful limitation of Bacon's knowledge prevents anachronistic attributions and keeps the historical development precise.

Hime's work rewards readers who attend to his chemical reasoning and his habit of testing ancient accounts against physical possibility. The tables and footnotes offer a parallel data stream for those interested in the material history of explosives. Whether one agrees with his conclusions about Bacon or the Chinese, the book stands as a model of evidence-based historical argument in the history of technology.

Years turning through Hime's patient chemistry taught me how matter waits—saltpeter, charcoal, sulphur—quietly readying its violence. I find the same hush fidgeting inside the Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) October, 1960 — Background and Themes. Different sparks, yet both books hold their breath, anticipating a flash that changes everything. They keep keeping their secrets well.