78 Sir H. Davy’s experiments and observations 
fixed above the flame, into a combustible mixture containing 
the maximum of coal gas, and when the inflammation had 
taken place in the wire-gauze cylinder, I threw in more coal 
gas, expecting that the heat acquired by the mixed gas in 
passing through the wire-gauze would prevent the excess 
from extinguishing the flame. The flame continued for two 
or three seconds after the coal gas was introduced; and when 
it was extinguished, that part of the wire of platinum which 
had been hottest remained ignited, and continued so for many 
minutes, and when it was removed into a dark room, it was 
evident that there was no flame in the cylinder. 
It was immediately obvious that this was the result which 
I had hoped to attain by other methods, and that the oxygene 
and coal gas in contact with the hot wire combined without 
flame, and yet produced heat enough to preserve the wire 
ignited, and to keep up their own combustion. I proved the 
truth of this conclusion by making a similar mixture, heating 
a fine wire of platinum and introducing it into the mixture. 
It immediately became ignited nearly to whiteness, as if it 
had been itself in actual combustion, and continued glowing 
for a long while, and when it was extinguished, the inflam- 
mability of the mixture was found entirely destroyed. 
A temperature much below ignition only was necessary for 
producing this curious phenomenon, and the wire was repeat- 
edly taking out and cooled in the atmosphere till it ceased to 
be visibly red; and yet when admitted again, it instantly 
became red hot. 
The same phenomena were produced with mixtures of ole- 
fiant gas and air. Carbonic oxide, prussic gas and hydro- 
gene, and in the last case with a rapid production of water ; 
