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"tricky" in both structure and operation. For this reason, a motive power such
as that of
electricity, which depends for its efficiency upon the making of proper con-
nections,
necessitates some care in adaptation to the special circumstances of the case.
This simply
means that, if worked by electricity, tricky devices of faulty construction are
more liable to
play tricks than if they are operated mechanically. The moral is that string and
sealing wax,
not to mention elastic bands and tintacks, are not fit associates for electricity.
Primitive
materials of that nature may consort well enough with a box of conjuring
tricks, as
advertised; but an agent so refined as electricity demands other and better
means for its
employment.
The first principle set down in this group is the Conveyance of Power through
Supports. Here, of course, entirely stationary and solid supports are unders-
tood. In other
types of physical magic, there are devices by which power is conveyed
through pillars, legs,
cords, chains, or what not, to the appliances thereby supported. But in those
other types, the
devices must include some mechanical trickery in their construction, and so-
me movement of
or within the support itself. In the case of electricity, no such requirement e-
xists. Electrical
energy demands for its conveyance nothing beyond a continuous metallic cir-
cuit--a "line-
wire" leading the current from a battery to the device it operates and a "re-
turn-wire"
completing the circuit by leading back again to the battery. Thus two conduc-
tors are always
necessary for electrically operated mechanism. These may readily be formed,
either in or by
the supports themselves. If the support is in itself a conductor, it will require
to be insulated
from all other conductors except the battery connection. If it is a non-conduc-
tor, a metallic
core or other conducting attachment must be provided. Obviously, there must
be two
supports at least, if the current is actually conducted thereby. If there is only a
single support,
an insulated path must be provided internally. The double path being a-
vailable, all that
remains is to make sure of good contact between the ends of the two conduc-
tors and their
appropriate connections. All being in order, one has only to press the button
and electricity
will do the rest.
The next electrical principle on the list is that of Trigger Action by Electric
Current.
In this, we have a means which should be useful for many purposes in the
practice of magic.
We say it should be so, because it has not as yet been adopted as frequently as
its merits
appear to deserve. The principle consists in the use of an electromagnet for
releasing a
motive power already stored up in a piece of apparatus. Thus any form of
clockwork may be
started or stopped, by moving its detent electrically. A supply of compressed
air may be
turned on and off, a spring released, or a weight allowed to fall. In short, the-
re are a thousand
and one operations in which trigger action is used, that may be most conveni-
ently controlled
by an electromagnet. There is also a great advantage in the fact that the mag-
net need have no
contact with the device it moves. Its attraction will pass through all substan-
ces save those
which are themselves magnetic. Therefore, so long as the distance across
which the action
has to take effect is not too great, the magnet and its "keeper" may be insula-
ted from each
other entirely.
The "Crystal Casket" of Robert-Houdin had another form of trigger-action by
electric
current. At a given instant, a wire, electrically heated, was caused to release
coins concealed
within the structure of the casket. Many devices of a similar character have
been employed
from time to time. The modern tendency, however, appears to be to rely upon
threads, and
primitive contrivances of that nature, rather than to adopt the more refined e-
lectrical
methods. In some instances, no doubt, limitations of space would prevent the
use of an
electro-magnetic release; but, more often than not, it is possible to find room
for some
compact form of magnet. Therefore, it seems a pity that this convenient a-
gency should be
allowed to fall into such undeserved neglect.
The principle of communication by means of Electrotelegraphy or Telephony
is so
well understood, and its utility and convenience for special purposes of magic
are so obvious,
that nothing need be said about it by way of explanation or illustration.
CHAPTER XI
Chemical and Molecular Principles
T
HE APPLICATION of Chemistry to the production of magical effects is of
ancient date. Among the earliest technical records are to be found descripti-
ons
of experiments upon a chemical basis. Not always strictly magical, it is true;
but, very often, of a nature well adapted to the requirements of magic, as we
regard it today.
Of the former kind, the experiment sometimes described as being designed
"To terrify with a
great Noise without Gunpowder" is an example. "To seem to turn Water into
Wine,"
however, is one of the very old experiments which are not yet out of date, and
probably will
survive for many generations to come. Indeed, so far as chemical magic is
concerned, many
of the older books strike one as being very nearly as up-to-date as are some of
the most
modern. The ancient textbooks, of course, contain descriptions of hypotheti-
cal effects, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]