ISO Dr. B. Babington on a Vegetable Substance 



When manufactured into candles, it comes with facility from 

 the mould, thus differing from wax, which does not readily admit 

 of heing cast ; it gives as bright a light as tallow, and has the 

 advantage of that material in being free from unpleasant smell, 

 and in not emitting a disagreeable odour when extinguished. It 

 unites in all proportions with wax, spermaceti, and tallow, and 

 forms compounds with the two former, intermediate in their melt- 

 ing points, according to the proportion of their ingredients, and 

 better adapted to the purpose of making candles, than the pure 

 and more fusible substance itself. 



With a view to ascertain the comparative combustibility of the 

 Piney Tallow, candles of the materials under-mentioned were cast ; 

 one mould was used for all, and the wicks were composed of an 

 equal number of threads. Having been accurately weighed, they 

 were burned for one hour in an apartment in which the air was 

 unagitated, and at a temperature of 55"^. 



Weight in grains, At the end 



vrhen lighted, of an hour. Loss. 



Wax 840 719 121 



Half wax, half Piney Tallow - - 770 631 139 



Spermaceti . _ - - 760 604 156 



Half sperm., half Piney Tallow - 777 625 152 



Animal tallow - - - - 811 703 108 



Half tallow, half Piney Tallow - -792 681 111 



Cape wax 763 640 123 



Piney Tallow - ... 812 702 110 



It should be mentioned that the wax candle in this experiment 

 was an exception to the perfect similarity of circumstances re- 

 quired, its wick being much smaller ; notwithstanding which, a 

 greater quantity of the wax was consumed than in the case of the 

 tallow, a result at variance with general opinion. 



In the above experiment the wicks, with the exception just 

 mentioned, were of the number of threads usually employed in 

 tallow candles of the size used. In order, however, to judge of 

 the Piney Tallow more accurately, as compared with wax and 

 spermaceti, I had candles made in the same mould as before, with 

 wicks composed of twelve threads, the number used in wax can- 



