262 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



continual supply of melted matter, which is de- 

 composed, and expanded into flame, or dense 

 light.* 



Other things being equal, the force and ra- 

 pidity with which the fluid tallow is drawn up, 

 is in proportion to the amount of caloric given 

 out by the wick. Thus, it would appear that 

 the rationale of oxidation, capillary attraction, 

 and the generation of light, are clearly exempli- 

 fied by a familiar process that has been over- 

 looked by the unreflecting million, and never 

 fully investigated by philosophers. With a view 

 of ascertaining the force of capillary attraction 

 caused by the heat of a burning candle, I per- 

 formed the following simple experiments : 



1 . About five grains of the heaviest coal ashes 

 were placed around the wick of an ordinary 

 sized candle, every particle of which was drawn 

 up in a few minutes, adhering closely to the 

 wick. 



2. I next put about the same quantity of iron 

 filings into the bole of a large candle, all of 

 which were soon drawn up and collected around 

 the wick, as in the former experiment. 



There can scarely be a doubt that filings of 

 silver, lead, gold, and even platinum, would pre- 

 sent the same results under like circumstances; 



* But if light and flame be identical, and if flame be gaseous 

 matter raised to a white heat, as maintained by Newton, Davy, 

 and others, it follows, that the light of combustion is an ex- 

 panded condition of ponderable matter by caloric. 



