gauze to the mouth of the stopcock, (even should there be six folds of
gauze intervening.) He shows also, by immersing the lamp, when cold and
newly lighted, into a jar of dense hydrogen or carburetted hydrogen gas,
or an explosive mixture with atmospheric air, that explosion takes place
inside and outside of the lamp; whereas, when the lamp has burnt
sufficiently long to heat the wire gauze, no explosion takes place on the
outside of the lamp. These experiments appear incontrovertible in support
of his theory, which is, "_that the wire gauze is merely the rapid
receiver and the retainer of heat, and that it is the caloric in its
meshes which prevents the flame of the lamp from being fed by the oxygen
of the atmosphere on the outside_."

The experiments of Libri, showing that flame is inflected by metallic rods,
and that "when two flames are made to approach each other, there is a
mutual repulsion, although their proximity increases the temperature of
each, instead of diminishing it," support Mr. Dillon's theory--the
inflection being occasioned by the rarefaction of the air between the rod
and the flame, the latter seeking for oxygen to support it in a denser
medium, the two flames repelling each other for the same reason, and not
from any mysterious and "repulsive effect of the wires of the gauze
tissue." Mr. Dillon increases the heat of the lamp, and places on it a
shield of talc to protect it from a current, and, upon his theory, the
shafts or workings of iron and coal mines may be lighted with gas with
perfect safety, protecting the flame with wire gauze and a circular shield
of talc.


* * * * *

EPITAPH ON A FRENCH SCOLD.