1^0 OBSERVATIOKS ON 80MB PHENOMENA OF COMBUSTION. 



ment ; but by dipping the match as usual, and then rubbing 

 it briskly upon a piece of old woollen cloth, or even brown 

 paper, it will almost certainly inflame. 

 Enlargedflame 2. When the leaking vessel of an Argand lamp is re- 

 lamp, moved, after it has filled with oil, the lamp continuing 

 lighted, the flame rises to the height of several inches. 

 Long after I had seen this I was unable to account for it, 

 but it arises no doubt from the gas being confined in the 

 inner cylinder, which will not inflame till the admission of 

 a current of air, for the flame does not rise unless the re- 

 ceiver has been full for a short time, nor does it ever rise 

 above a certain height. 

 Candle rekin- 3. When 1 first began to attend to Natural Philosophy, 



died wit out an eminent lecturer, a chemist, whose course I attended, 

 contact of . . . ' 



fiame. gave as an instance of attraction, " A candle just blown out 



is relighted on the approach of a lighted body, as it attracts 

 the flame without touch :" and it was long before I saw the 

 absuj-dity of this explanation, by having recourse to the ab- 

 struse doctrine of attraction, instead of saying, the carbu- 

 retted hidrogen, that is produced, inflames, and thereby 

 creates a fresh supply of inflammable gasses. 



G. O. 



Camphor in 1 find that camphor is contained in considerable propor- 

 carrawajr^seed. |.-Q^ in the seeds of carraway (carum caruij. 1 lb. of 

 seed yields about 4oz. of oil, and 3 oz. of camphor. . 



REPLY. 



Remarks. Many of the greatest discoveries have arisen from cir- 



cumstances apparently trifling; for which reason they ought 

 cever to be considered as unworthy of attention. The first 

 observation of G. O. is known to the venders of phosphorus 

 apparatus, who generally put a piece of cork for rubbing 

 the match upon. — I am disposed to think, that the aug- 

 mentation of the flame in an Argand lamp, when the oil 

 cup is taken off, arises merely from the increased passage 

 for the ascending air. If the hand or any other flat surface 

 be held beneath the lower orifice after the oil cup (as usual- 

 ly made) has been removed, all the variations from the 



brilliant 



