1818.J Mr. Gill on a Lamp without Tlomr. 017 



Article X. 



On a Lamp without Flame. By Thomas Gill, Esq. 

 (To the Editors of the Annals of Philosophy, Sec.) 



No. 1 1 , Covent Garden Chambers, 

 GENTLEMEN, Feb. 14, 1818. 



I now communicate for insertion in your Annals, the follow- 

 ing notice, on a very singular discovery, which has lately come 

 to my knowledge ; namely, 



Of a Lamp ivithout Flame ! 



This lamp is one of the results of the new discoveries in che- 

 mistry. It had been found by Sir H. Davy, that a fine platina 

 wire, heated red hot, and held in the vapour of ether, would 

 continue ignited for some time ; but, I believe, no practical use 

 has been made of this fact. 



I have now the satisfaction to inform your readers, that if a 

 cylindrical coil of thin platina wire be placed, part of it round 

 the cotton wick of a spirit lamp, and part of it above the wick, 

 and the lamp be lighted so as to heat the wire to redness ; on 

 the flame being blown out, the vapour of the alcohol will keep 

 the upper part of the wire red hot, for any length of time, ac- 

 cording to the supply of alcohol, and with little expenditure 

 thereof; so as to be in constant readiness to kindle German 

 fungus, or paper prepared with nitre ; and by this means, to 

 light a sulphur match, &c. at pleasure. 



I might here enlarge upon the peculiar utility of a lamp, 

 which, whilst it affords a sufficient light to show the hour of the 

 night by a watch, and to perform many other useful services, 

 does not hinder the repose of persons unaccustomed to keep a 

 light burning in their bed-room ; and which, from its constantly 

 preserving an uniform heat, and not requiring to be snuffed, as 

 other lamps do, may prove a valuable acquisition to the chemist, 

 in performing experiments on a minute scale, where a long con- 

 tinuance of a gentle heat, at an uniform temperature, is desirable. 

 One gentleman has already kept one burning upwards of sixty 

 hours ; I have used another several nights, with great conve- 

 nience ; and I have no doubt, that it will soon come into general 

 use. 



I am sorry that it is not in my power to communicate the 

 name of the inventor of this lamp. I am indebted to Mr. Gar- 

 den, a scientific chemist, in Oxford-street, for the first informa- 

 tion concerning it, on the 23d day of January last ; he had a 

 hint only of its construction from a gentleman, a stranger to 



