226 Of the Light manifested in Combustion. 



52 wax candles, and this without the least appearance 

 of either smoke or smell. 



On comparing the flame of an Argand lamp with 

 the united flames of this new lamp, it appeared just as 

 yellow and as dull as the flame of a common lamp ap- 

 pears when compared with that of an Argand lamp. 



It is indeed quite impossible to form an adequate 

 idea of the beautiful whiteness and transcendent bright- 

 ness of this new illuminator without seeing it ; and 

 it never fails to excite the surprise and admiration of 

 those who behold it for the first time. 



The fundamental principle on which this lamp is 

 constructed is so easy to be understood that it will be 

 sufficient merely to mention it, in order to show clearly 

 what must be done to put it in practice. 



The object to be had in view in all cases is to pre- 

 serve the heat of thejlame as long as possible. 



One of the most simple methods of doing this is, no 

 doubt, the placing of several flat flames together, and 

 as near as possible to each other without touching, in 

 order that they may mutually cover and defend each 

 other against the powerful cooling influence of the sur- 

 rounding cold bodies. 



It is evident that this principle may be employed 

 with great facility in all cases where oil is burned to 

 produce light, and that polyflame lamps of the smallest 

 size, or of any given power of illumination, must nec- 

 essarily be superior in effect and be more economical 

 than any of the lamps now in use. 



As a clear flame is perfectly transparent to the light 

 of another flame which passes through it, as I have 

 shown in another place,* there is no danger of any loss 



* See my paper on Light, published in the Philosophical Transactions in 

 the year 1794. 



