THE TROUBLES OP THE INVENTOR. 73 



So Argand set himself at work to contrive a way by 

 which to admit air to the centre of the flame ; and after a 

 great many experiments and a great deal of contrivance, 

 he succeeded in producing a cylindrical wick which was to 

 be inclosed between two concentric tubes, with an opening 

 at the bottom of the inner tube for a supply of air. He 

 also provided suitable mechanism for raising and lowering 

 the wick 5> and fitted a sheet-iron chimney over it to in- 

 crease the draft up through the inner tube. 



He made his chimney of sheet-iron, because in those days 

 they had no means of making glass chimneys that would 

 stand so great a heat without breaking. Of course it was 

 necessary to place the chimney so that the lower edge of 

 it should be just above the upper edge of the flame, in or- 

 der that the light might not be intercepted. 



Not long after this the glass-makers contrived to make 

 'glass chimneys which would stand great heat provided 

 they were heated gradually, and then Argand's invention 

 was complete. 



But the invention, great as its value has proved to be 

 for mankind, was the source to the unhappy inventor of it 

 of nothing but trouble and sorrow. He became involved 

 in disputes and lawsuits with other men, especially with a 

 Frenchman, whose name is spelled Quinquct, and is pro- 

 nounced, as nearly as can be represented by English sym- 

 bols, Kaingkay. Quinquet, it would seem, drew Argand's 

 idea from him in conversation, or, at least, obtained such 

 glimpses of it as enabled him to produce a lamp of the 

 same character; and he harassed and thwarted Argand in 

 alibis attempts to obtain what would correspond to a. pat- 

 ent right to it at the present day. Argand went to En- 

 gland, and there was more successful. His invention was 

 adopted in that country, and was recognized as his, and 

 the contrivance is called the Argand burner there and iu 

 D 



