1008 Transactions OF the American Institute. 



English survey, and it was called the Drumniond light. It should 

 be called the Hare light. 



Mr. John Pliin.— If my memory serves me right, the Bude light 

 was not a lime light at all, hut a light produced by sending a stream 

 of oxygen through the center of an Argand lamp. The name was 

 derived from the residence of Mr. Gui'iiey, in the south of England. 

 Afterward it was applied to the illumination of the British Houses 

 of Parliament, the stream uf oxygen being passed through the cen- 

 ter of Argand gas burners. But it was found difficult to regulate it 

 and it was abandoned. 



Mr. J. K. Fisher. — I am very much surprised at this, for I under- 

 stood that a stream of oxygen passed through the center of an Argand 

 burner would diminish the light rather than increase it. Dr. Van- 

 derweyde has, if I recollect aright, exhibited some experiments before 

 the club which go to prove this. By passing too much air through 

 the center of an Argand burner the light is diminished. 



Dr. Yanderweyde corroborated the views of the last speaker, and 

 thought Mr. Phin must have made a mistake. He gave a minute 

 description of the mode of operation of the Drummond light, and two 

 kinds of apparatus which he employs for producing it, and promised 

 to bring the apparatus to the club next Thursday night. 



Mr. J. Phin. — There cannot be any mistake about what the Bude 

 light was. This is a mere question of history and fact. All writers 

 on the subject will tell you that the Bude light was produced by the 

 combustion of a hydro-carbon, either oil or gas, in the presence of 

 pure oxygen. As to the possibility of producing an intense light in 

 this way there can be no doubt, as I have performed the experiment 

 many times myself. It is no doubt true that too much oxygen or too 

 mncli air will diminish the light. Hence, when we mix gas with air, 

 and then burn it, we find that it gives no light. This is illustrated 

 in the Bunsen burner, or, to take a more common object, the gas 

 stoves used for heating and for cooking. But it is also true that the 

 intensity of the light depends upon the degree of heat produced in 

 the flame. Hence, the fact that it requires the intense heat of the 

 oxy-hydrogen flame to make lime luminous ; but, if we could get the 

 same degree of heat by the use of common air as by the use of oxy- 

 gen, we would get an equal amount of light. Now, the reason why 

 common air fails to produce the same intense heat that oxygen does, 

 is this: Common air contains a great deal of inert matter, nitrogen. 

 This nitrogen has to be heated to the same temperature as the 



