Of the Light manifested in Combustion. 227 



of light on account of these flames covering each 

 other. 



I caused the light of one flame to pass successively 

 through eight other like flames, without being able to 

 perceive the smallest diminution of its intensity. 



A considerable advantage attending these new poly- 

 flame lamps is that they do not require a narrow glass 

 chimney as a blower to animate the combustion : it 

 will be sufficient to cover their flames at a distance by 

 a wide cylindrical glass tube placed upright on a disk 

 of glass or metal having apertures in the middle of 

 it for the admission of the air, which must always 

 be made to come up from below, between the flat tin 

 tubes which contain the wicks. 



This wide glass must be four or five inches higher 

 than the level of the tops of the flames, and no air 

 must be permitted to come up through it but that 

 which passes between the wicks, otherwise the draught 

 of air between the wicks will not be sufificiently strong. 



The flat tin tubes which contain the wicks must be 

 all enclosed together in a larger tube (which may be 

 either square or cylindrical), in order that the ^air that 

 comes up between these flat tubes may be confined in 

 its passage and brought properly into the fire. 



Care must be taken that the outside wicks, as well 

 as those placed between, receive air on both their sides, 

 and this air must be made to rise up perpendicularly 

 from below ; but no other currents of air should ever 

 be permitted to come near them or to enter the glass 

 tube which covers and defends them. 



It is highly probable that it will be found to be very 

 useful to be able to regulate the quantity of air ad- 

 mitted ; but this may easily be done by a variety of 

 simple contrivances. 



