SCIOPTICON MANUAL. 125 



CHAPTER IX. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE SCIOPTICOW. 



[ From the Journal of the Franklin Institute.] 



"Our attention was drawn some time since to this 

 very decided improvement in lanterns illuminated by 

 ordinary flames, by which their efficiency is so greatly 

 increased that many results can be reached which were 

 heretofore only attainable by aid of the lime or magne- 

 sium lights. 



"The most important feature in this apparatus is the 

 lamp, or, as it might, in this case, be called, from its 

 appearance, the furnace. This source of action to the 

 entire machine is placed in a cylindrical chamber, pro- 

 vided with a chimney, and has two flat wicks, one and a 

 half inches long, parallel to each other and to the axis 

 of the chamber, and in fact the optical axis of the 

 instrument. The flames, or rather sheets of flame, 

 that rise from these wicks are drawn together by the 

 arrangement of the draft, and so form a pointed ridge 

 or edge of intense light in the axis of the condensers. 

 We have, on various occasions, alluded to the fact long 

 ago pointed out by Rumfort, that flame was practically 

 transparent. Here this property is utilized, and by rea- 

 son of it we can get through the condenser all the accu- 

 mulated brightness of the long line of light, one and a 

 half inches deep. 



"We have witnessed a number of experiments with 

 this lantern, and can fully indorse it as a great advance 

 upon any thing before used in the shape of a lamp-illu- 

 minated magic lantern. 



