a small taper of tallow, wax, or spermaceti; the wick of which is commonly of several threads of cotton, spun and twisted together.

A tallow-candle, to be good, must be half sheep's and half bullock's tallow; for hog's tallow makes the candle gutter, and always gives an offensive smell, with a thick black smoke. The wick ought to be pure, sufficiently dry, and properly twisted; otherwise the candle will emit an inconstant vibratory flame, which is both prejudicial to the eyes and insufficient for the distinct illumination of objects.

There are two sorts of tallow-candles; the one dipped, the other moulded: the former are the common candles; the others are the invention of the sieur le Brege at Paris.

As to the method of making candles in general: After the tallow has been weighed, and mixed in the due proportions, it is cut into very small pieces, that it may melt sooner; for the tallow in lumps, as it comes from the butchers, would be in danger of burning or turning black, if it were left too long over the fire. Being perfectly melted and skimmed, they pour a certain quantity of water into it, proportionable to the quantity of tallow. This serves to precipitate to the bottom of the vessel the impurities of the tallow which may have escaped the skimmer. No water, however, must be thrown into the tallow designed for the three first dips; because the wick, being still quite dry, would imbibe the water, which makes the candles crackle in burning, and renders them of bad use. The tallow, thus melted, is poured into a tub, through a coarse sieve of horse-hair, to purify it still more, and may be used after having stood three hours. It will continue fit for use 24 hours in summer and 15 in winter. The wicks are made of spun cotton, which the tallow-chandlers buy in skeins, and which they wind up into bottoms or clues; whence they are cut out, with an instrument contrived on purpose, into pieces of the length of the candle required; then put on the sticks or broaches, or else placed in the moulds, as the candles are intended to be either dipped or moulded.

Wax-candles are made of a cotton or flaxen wick, slightly twisted, and covered with white or yellow wax. Of these, there are several kinds: some of a conical figure, used to illuminate churches, and in processions, funeral ceremonies, &c. (see Taper); others of a cylindrical form, used on ordinary occasions. The first are either made with a ladle or the hand. 1. To make wax-candles with the ladle. The wicks being prepared, a dozen of them are tied by the neck, at equal distances, round an iron circle, suspended over a large basin of copper tinned, and full of melted wax: a large ladle full of this wax is poured gently on the tops of the wicks one after another, and this operation continued till the candle arrive at its destined bigness; with this precaution that the three first ladles be poured on at the top of the wick, the fourth at the height of \( \frac{1}{3} \), the fifth at \( \frac{2}{3} \), and the sixth at \( \frac{3}{4} \), in order to give the candle its pyramidal form. Then the candles are taken down, kept warm, and rolled and smoothed upon a walnut-tree table, with a long square instrument of box, smooth at the bottom. 2. As to the manner of making wax-candles by the hand, they begin to soften the wax, by working it several times in hot water, contained in a narrow but deep caldron. A piece of the wax is then taken out, and disposed by little and little around the wick, which is hung on a hook in the wall, by the extremity opposite to the neck; so that they begin with the big end, diminishing still as they descend towards the neck. In other respects the method is nearly the same as in the former case. However, it must be observed, that, in the former case, water is always used to moisten the several instruments, to prevent the wax from flickering; and in the latter, oil of olives, or lard, for the hands, &c. The cylindrical wax-candles are either made as the former, with a ladle, or drawn. Wax-candles drawn, are so called, because actually drawn in the manner of wire, by means of two large rollers of wood, turned by a handle, which, turning backwards and forwards several times, pass the wick through melted wax contained in a brass basin, and at the same time through the holes of an instrument like that used for drawing wire fastened at one side of the basin.

If any chandlers mix with their wares anything deceitfully, &c. the candles shall be forfeited, by stat. 23 Eliz.; and a tax or duty is granted on candles, by 8 and 9 Anne, cap. 6. made for sale, of one penny a pound, besides the duty upon tallow, by 8 Anne, cap. 9. And by 24 Geo. III. cap. 11. an additional duty of a halfpenny a pound: and by the same an additional duty of a halfpenny a pound is laid upon all candles imported (except those of wax and spermaceti, for which see Wax-Candles), subject also to the two additional 5 per cents. imposed by 19 and 22 Geo. III. besides the duty of 2½d. formerly imposed by 2 W. estl. 2. cap. 4. 8 Anne, cap. 9. and 9 Anne, cap. 6. And every maker of candles, other than wax-candles, for sale, shall annually take out a licence at 1l. The maker of candles shall, in four weeks within the bills, and elsewhere in six weeks, after entry, clear off the duties on pain of double duty: nor sell any after default in payment on pain of double value; 8 Anne, cap. 9. The makers of candles are not to use melting houses, without making a true entry, on pain of 10l., and to give notice of making candles to the excise officer for the duties; and of the number, &c. or shall forfeit 50l. stat. 11. Geo. I. cap. 30. See also 23 Geo. II. cap. 21. and 26 Geo. II. cap. 32. No maker of candles for sale shall begin to make candles, without notice first given to the officers, unless from September 29. to March 25. yearly, between seven in the morning and five in the evening, and from March 25. to September 29. between five in the morning and seven in the evening, on pain of 10l. 10 Anne, cap. 26. The penalty of obstructing the officer is 20l. and of removing candles before they are surveyed 20l. 8 Anne, cap. 9. The penalty of privately making candles is the forfeiture of the same and utensils, and 10l. 5 Geo. III. cap. 43. And the penalty of mingling weighed with unweighed candles, of removing them before they are weighed, or of concealing them, is the forfeiture of 10l. 11 Geo. cap. 30. Candles, for which the duty hath been paid, may be exported, and the duty drawn back; but no draw-back shall be allowed on the exportation of any foreign candles imported. 8 Anne, cap. 9. 23 Geo. II. cap. 21.

The Roman candles were at first little strings dipped in pitch, or surrounded with wax; though afterwards they made them of the papyrus, covered likewise with wax; and sometimes also of rushes, by stripping off the outer rind, and only retaining the pith.—For religious offices, wax-candles were used; for vulgar uses, Lord Bacon proposes candles of divers compositions and ingredients, as also of different sorts of wicks; with experiments of the degrees of duration, and light of each. Good housewives bury their candles in flour or bran, which it is said increases their lasting almost half.

Experiments to determine the real and comparative value of burning CANDLES of different sorts and sizes.

| Numb.of candles in one pound. | Weight of one candle. | The time one candle lasted. | The time one pound will last. | The expence in 12 hours when candles are at 6d per dozen, which also shows the proportion of the expence at any price per dozen. | Farthings and tenth parts. | |-------------------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------------| | Small wick. | 18½ | 3 15 | 59 26 | 4.85 | | | Large wick. | 10 | 13½ | 2 40 | 5.70 | | | | 16½ | 15½ | 2 40 | 6.54 | | | | 12 | 5½ | 3 27 | 6.96 | | | | 10½ | 8 | 3 36 | 7.50 | | | | 7½ | 4 | 9 32 | 8.94 | | | | 8 | 2 | 4 15 | 8.47 | | | Mould-candles. | 5½ | 13 | 5 19 | 9.53 | | | | 5½ | 12 | 7 20 | 9.77 | | | | 4 | 9 | 3 36 | 9.28 | |

N. B. The time that one candle lasted was taken from an average of several trials in each size.

It is observable, in optics, that the flame of two candles joined, gives a much stronger light than both of them separate. The observation was suggested by Dr Franklin. Probably the union of the two flames produces a greater degree of heat, whereby the vapour is attenuated, and the particles of which light consists are more copiously emitted.

Mr Nicholson has made some interesting observations on the light afforded by lamps and candles, which we shall lay before our readers in his own words. "We are acquainted with no means, (says he), unless we may except electricity, of producing light, but by combustion, and this is most probably of the same nature. The rude method of illumination consists in successively burning certain masses of fuel in the solid state. Common fires answer this purpose in the apartments of houses, and in some lighthouses: small pieces of resinous wood, and the bituminous coal called kannel-coal, are in some countries applied to the same use; but the most general and useful method is that in which fat oil, of an animal or vegetable kind, is burned by means of a wick. These instruments of illumination are either lamps or candles. In the lamp, the oil must be one of those which retains its fluidity in the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere. The candle is formed of an oil, or other material, which is not fusible but at a temperature considerably elevated.

"The method of measuring the comparative intensities of light is one of the first requisites in an inquiry concerning the art of illumination. Two methods of considerable accuracy are described in the Traité d'Optique of Bouguer, of which an abridged account is given by Dr Priestley in his Optics. The first of these two methods has been used by others since that time, and probably, before, from its very obvious nature, but particularly by Count Rumford, who has given a description and drawings of an instrument called the photometer, in the Philosophical Transactions for 1794. The principle it is grounded upon is, that if two lights shine upon the same surface at equal obliquities, and an opaque body be interposed, the two shadows it will produce must differ in blackness or intensity in the same degree. For the shadow formed by intercepting the greater light will be illuminated by the smaller light only, and reverberly the other shadow will be illuminated by the greater light. That is to say, in short, the stronger light will be attended with a deeper shadow. But it is easy, by removing the greater light to a greater distance, to render the illumination it produces at the common surface equal to that afforded by the less. Experiments of this kind may be conveniently made by fastening a sheet of white paper against the wall of a room. The two lights or candles intended to be compared, must then be placed so that the ray of light from each shall fall with nearly the same angle of incidence upon the middle of the paper. By some experiments made in this way in the year 1785, I was satisfied that the degree of illumination could be thus ascertained to the 80th or 90th part of the whole.

"By experiments of this kind many useful particulars may be shewn. Thus, for example, the light of a candle, which is so exceedingly brilliant when first snuffed, is very speedily diminished to one-half, and is usually not more than one-fifth or one-sixth before the uneasiness of the eye induces us to snuff it. Whence it follows, that if candles could be made so as not to require snuffing, the average quantity of light afforded by the same quantity of combustible matter would be more than doubled. In the same way, likewise, since the cost and duration of candles, and the consumption of oil in lamps, are easily ascertainable, it may be shewn whether more or less of light is obtained at the same expense during a given time, by burning a number of small candles instead of one of greater thickness. From a few experiments already made out of the numerous and useful series that presents itself, I have reason to think that there is very much waste in this expensive article of accommodation.

"In the lamp there are three articles which demand our attention, the oil, the wick, and the supply of air. It is required that the oil should be readily inflammable, without containing any fetid substance which may prove offensive, or mucilage, or other matter, to obstruct the channels of the wick. I do not know of any process for ameliorating oils for this purpose, excepting that of washing with water containing acid or alkali. Either of these is said to render the mucilage of animal oils more soluble in the water; but acid is preferred, because it is less disposed to combine with the oil itself. The office of the wick appears to be chiefly, if not solely, to convey the oil by capillary attraction to the place of combustion. As the oil is consumed and flies off, other oil succeeds, and in this way a continued current of oil and maintenance of the flame are effected. But as the wicks of lamps are commonly formed of..." of combustible matter, it appears to be of some consequence what the nature and structure of this material may be. It is certain that the flame afforded by a wick of rush differs very considerably from that afforded by cotton; though perhaps this difference may, in a great measure, depend on the relative dimensions of each. And if we may judge from the different odour in blowing out a candle of each sort, there is some reason to suspect that the decomposition of the oil is not effected precisely in the same manner in each. We have also some obscure accounts of prepared wicks for lamps, which are stated to possess the property of facilitating the combustion of very impure oils, so that they shall burn for many hours without smoke or smell.

"The access of air is of the last importance in every process of combustion. When a lamp is fitted up with a very slender wick, the flame is small, and of a brilliant white colour; if the wick be larger, the combustion is less perfect, and the flame is brown: a still larger wick not only exhibits a brown flame, but the lower internal part appears dark, and is occupied by a portion of volatilized matter, which does not become ignited until it has ascended towards the point. When the wick is either very large or very long, part of this matter escapes combustion, and flows itself in the form of coal or smoke. The different intensity of the ignition of flame, according to the greater or less supply of air, is remarkably seen by placing a lamp with a small wick beneath a shade of glass not perfectly closed below, and more or less covered above. While the current of air through the glass shade is perfectly free, the flame is white; but in proportion as the aperture above is diminished, the flame becomes brown, long, wavering, and smoky; it instantly recovers its original whiteness when the opening is again enlarged. The inconvenience of a thick wick has been long since observed, and attempts made to remove it; in some instances by substituting a number of small wicks instead of a larger; and in others, by making the wick flat instead of cylindrical. The most scientific improvement of this kind, though perhaps less simple than the ordinary purposes of life demand, is the well-known lamp of Argand. In this the wick forms a hollow cylinder or tube, which slides over another tube of metal, so as to afford an adjustment with regard to its length. When this wick is tightened, the flame itself has the figure of a thin tube, to the inner as well as the outer surface of which the air has access from below. And a cylindrical shade of glass serves to keep the flame steady, and in a certain degree to accelerate the current of air. In this very ingenious apparatus many experiments may be made with the greatest facility. The inconvenience of a long wick, which supplies more oil than the volume of flame is capable of burning, and which consequently emits smoke, is seen at once by raising the wick; and on the other hand, the effect of a short wick, which affords a diminutive flame merely for want of a sufficient supply of combustible matter, is observable by the contrary process.

"The most obvious inconvenience of lamps in general, arises from the fluidity of the combustible material, which requires a vessel adapted to contain it, and even in the best constructed lamps is more or less liable to be spilled. When the wick of a lamp is once adjusted as to its length, the flame continues nearly in the same state for a very considerable time.

"It is almost unnecessary to describe a thing so universally known as a candle. This article is formed of a consistent oil, which envelopes a porous wick of fibrous vegetable matter. The cylindrical form and dimensions of the oil are given either by casting it in a mould, or by repeatedly dipping the wick into the fused ingredient. Upon comparing a candle with a lamp, two very remarkable particulars are immediately seen. In the first place, the tallow itself, which remains in the unfused state, affords a cup or cavity to hold that portion of melted tallow which is ready to flow into the lighted part of the wick. In the second place, the combustion, instead of being confined, as in the lamp, to a certain determinate portion of the fibrous matter, is carried, by a slow sucession, through the whole length. Hence arises the greater necessity for frequent snuffing the candle; and hence also the elevation of the freezing point of the fat oil becomes of great consequence. For it has been shown that the brilliancy of the flame depends very much on the diameter of the wick being as small as possible; and this requisite will be most attainable in candles formed of a material that requires a higher degree of heat to fuse it. The wick of a tallow candle must be made thicker in proportion to the greater fusibility of the material, which would otherwise melt the sides of the cup, and run over in streams. The flame will therefore be yellow, smoky, and obscure, excepting for a short time immediately after snuffing. Tallow melts at the 92d degree of Fahrenheit's thermometer; spermaceti at the 133d degree; the fatty matter formed of flesh after long immersion in water melts at 127°; the pala of the Chinese, at 145°; bees wax at 142°; and bleached wax at 150°. Two of these materials are well-known in the fabrication of candles. Wax in particular does not afford so brilliant a flame as tallow; but, on account of its fusibility, the wick can be made smaller; which not only affords the advantage of a clear perfect flame, but from its flexibility it is disposed to turn on one side, and come in contact with the external air, which completely burns the extremity of the wick to white ashes, and thus performs the office of snuffing. We see, therefore, that the important object of society of rendering tallow candles equal to those of wax, does not at all depend on the combustibility of the respective materials, but upon a mechanical advantage in the cup, which is afforded by the inferior degree of fusibility in the wax; and that, to obtain this valuable object, one of the following effects must be produced: Either the tallow must be burned in a lamp, to avoid the gradual progression of the flame along the wick; or some means must be devised to enable the candle to snuff itself, as the wax candle does; or, lastly, the tallow itself must be rendered less fusible by some chemical process. I have no great reason to boast of success in the endeavour to effect these; but my hope is, that the facts and observations here presented may considerably abridge the labour of others in the same pursuit.

"The makers of thermometers and other small articles with the blow-pipe and lamp, give the preference to tallow instead of oil, because its combustion is more complete," complete, and does not blacken the glass. In this operation, the heat of the lamp melts the tallow which is occasionally brought into its vicinity by the workman. But for the usual purposes of illumination, it cannot be supposed that a person can attend to supply the combustible matter. Considerable difficulties arise in the project for affording this gradual supply as it may be wanted. A cylindrical piece of tallow was inserted into a metallic tube, the upper aperture of which was partly closed by a ring, and the central part occupied by a metallic piece nearly resembling that part of the common lamp which carries the wick. In this apparatus the piece last described was intended to answer the same purpose, and was provided with a short wick. The cylinder of tallow was supported beneath in such a manner that the metallic tube and other part of this lamp were left to rest with their whole weight upon the tallow at the ring or contraction of the upper aperture. In this situation the lamp was lighted. It burned for some time with a very bright clear flame, which, when compared with that of a candle, possessed the advantages of uniform intensity, and was much superior to the ordinary flame of a lamp in its colour, and the perfect absence of smell. After some minutes it began to decay, and very soon afterwards went out. Upon examination it was found, that the metallic piece which carried the wick had fused a sufficient quantity of tallow for the supply during the combustion; that part of this tallow had flowed beneath the ring, and to other remote parts of the apparatus, beyond the influence of the flame; in consequence of which, the tube, and the cylinder of tallow were fastened together, and the expected progression of supply prevented. It seems probable, that in every lamp for burning consistent oils, the material ought to be so disposed that it may descend to the flame upon the principle of the fountain reservoir. I shall not here state the obstacles which present themselves in the prospect of this construction, but shall dismiss the subject by remarking, that a contrivance of this nature would be of the greatest public utility.

"The wick of a candle, being surrounded by the flame, is nearly in the situation of a body exposed to destructive distillation in a close vessel. After losing its volatile products, the carbonaceous residue retains its figure, until, by the descent of the flame, the external air can have access to its upper extremity. But, in this case, the requisite combustion, which might snuff it, is not effected. For the portion of oil emitted by the long wick is not only too large to be perfectly burned, but also carries off much of the heat of the flame while it assumes the elastic state. By this diminished combustion and increased efflux of half-decomposed oil, a portion of coal or foot is deposited on the upper part of the wick, which gradually accumulates, and at length assumes the appearance of a fungus. The candle does not then give more than one-tenth of the light emitted in its best state. Hence it is that a candle of tallow cannot spontaneously snuff itself. It was not probable that the addition of a substance containing vital air or oxygen would supply that principle at the precise period of time required; but, as experiment is the test of every probability of this nature, I soaked a wick of cotton in a solution of nitre, then dried it, and made a candle. When this came to be lighted, nothing remarkable happened for a short time; at the expiration of which a decrepitation followed at the lower extremity of the flame, which completely divided the wick where the blackened part commences. The whole of the matter in combustion therefore fell off, and the candle was of course instantly extinguished. Whether this would have happened in all proportions of the salt or contrivances of the candle I did not try, because the smell of azote was sufficiently strong and unpleasant to forbid the use of nitre in the pursuit. From various considerations I am disposed to think that the spontaneous snuffing of candles made of tallow, or other fusible materials, will scarcely be effected but by the discovery of some material for the wick which shall be voluminous enough to absorb the tallow, and at the same time sufficiently flexible to bend on one side.

"The most promising speculation respecting this most useful article, seems to direct itself to the cup which contains the melted tallow. The imperfection of this part has already been noticed, namely, that it breaks down by fusion, and suffers its fluid contents to escape. The Chinese have a kind of candle about half an inch in diameter, which, in the harbour of Canton, is called lobchock; but whether the name be Chinese, or the corruption of some European word, I am ignorant. The wick is of cotton, wrapped round a small stick or match of the bamboo cane. The body of the candle is white tallow; but the external part to the thickness of perhaps one-thirtieth of an inch, consists of a waxy matter coloured red. This covering gives a considerable degree of solidity to the candle, and prevents its guttering, because less fusible than the tallow itself. I did not observe that the stick in the middle was either advantageous or the contrary; and, as I now write from the recollection of this object at so remote a period as 25 years ago, I can only conjecture that it might be of advantage in throwing up a less quantity of oil into the flame than would have been conveyed by a wick of cotton sufficiently stout to have occupied its place unsupported in the axis of the candle.

"Many years ago I made a candle in imitation of the lobchock. The expedient to which I had recourse consisted in adapting the wick in the usual pewter mould; wax was then poured in, and immediately afterwards poured out; the film of wax which adhered to the inner surface of the mould soon became cool; and the candle was completed by filling the mould with tallow. When it was drawn out, it was found to be cracked longitudinally on its surface, which I attributed to the contraction of the wax, by cooling, being greater than that of the tallow. At present I think it equally probable that the cracking might have been occasioned by too sudden cooling of the wax before the tallow was poured in; but other avocations prevented the experiments from being varied and repeated. It is probable that the Chinese external coating may not be formed of pure hard bleached wax.

"But the most decisive remedy for the imperfection of this cheapf, and in other respects best material for candles, would undoubtedly be to diminish its fusibility. Various substances may be combined with tallow, either in the direct or indirect method. In the latter way, by the decomposition of soap, a number of experiments were made by Berthollet, of which an ac- count is inserted in the memoirs of the academy at Paris for the year 1780, and copied into the 26th volume of the Journal de Physique. None of these point directly to the present object; besides which, it is probable that the soap made use of by that eminent chemist was formed not of tallow, but oil. I am not aware of any regular series of experiments concerning the mutual action of fat oils and other chemical agents, more especially such as may be directed to this important object of diminishing its solubility; for which reason I shall mention a few experiments made with this view.

1. Tallow was melted in a small silver vessel. Solid tallow sinks in the fluid, and dissolves without any remarkable appearance. 2. Gum sandarach in tears was not dissolved, but emitted bubbles, swelled up, became brown, emitted fumes, and became crisp or friable. No solution nor improvement of the tallow. 3. Shellac swelled up with bubbles, and was more perfectly fused than the gum sandarach in the former experiment. When the tallow was poured off, it was thought to congeal rather more speedily. The lac did not appear to be altered. 4. Benzoin bubbled without much swelling, was fused, and emitted fumes of an agreeable smell, though not resembling the flowers of benzoin. A slight or partial solution seemed to take place. The benzoin was softer and of a darker colour than before, and the tallow less consitent. 5. Common resin unites very readily with melted tallow, and forms a more fusible compound than the tallow itself. 6. Camphor melts easily in tallow, without altering its appearance. When the tallow is near boiling, camphoric fumes fly off. The compound appeared more fusible than tallow. 7. The acid or flowers of benzoin dissolves in great quantities without any ebullition or commotion. Much smoke arises from the compound, which does not smell like the acid of benzoin. Tallow alone does not fume at a low heat, though it emits a smell something like that of oil-olive. When the proportion of the acid was considerable, small needle crystals appeared as the temperature diminished. The appearances of separation are different according to the quantity of acid. The compound has the hardness and consistence of firm soap, and is partially transparent. 8. Vitriolated tartar, nitre, white sugar, cream of tartar, crystallized borax, and the salt sold in the markets under the name of salt of lemons, but which is supposed to be the essential salt of sorrel, or vegetable alkali superstitiously used instead of sugar, were respectively tried without any obvious mutual action or change of properties in the tallow. 9. Calcined magnesia rendered tallow opaque and turbid, but did not seem to dissolve. Its effect resembled that of lime.

It is proposed to try the oxigenated acetic acid, or radical vinegar; the acid of ants, of sugar, of borax, of galls, the tanning principle, the ferrous and gelatinous animal matter, the fecula of vegetables, vegetable gluten, bird-lime, and other principles, either by direct or indirect application. The object, in a commercial point of view, is entitled to an extensive and affiduous investigation. Chemists in general suppose the hardness or less fusibility of wax to arise from oxygen, and to this object it may perhaps be advantageous to direct a certain portion of the inquiry. The metallic salts and calces are the combinations from which this principle is most commonly obtained; but the combinations of these with fat oils have hitherto afforded little promise of the improvement here sought. The subject is however so little known, that experiments of the loosest and most conjectural kind are by no means to be despised."

Lighting a Candle by a Small Spark of Electricity. This method, which is an invention of Dr. Ingenhousz, is recorded in the Phil. Trans. vol. lxviii. It is done by a small phial, having eight or ten inches of metallic coating, or even less, charged with electricity, which may be done at any time of the night by a person who has an electric machine in his room. "When I have occasion to light a candle," says he, "I charge a small coated phial, whose knob is bent outwards, so as to hang a little over the body of the phial; then I wrap some loose cotton over the extremity of a long brass pin or wire, so as to stick moderately fast to its substance. I next roll this extremity of the pin wrapped up with cotton in some fine powder of resin, (which I always keep in readiness upon the table for this purpose, either in a wide-mouthed phial or in a loose paper); this being done, I apply the extremity of the pin or wire to the external coating of the charged phial, and bring as quickly as possible the other extremity wrapped round with cotton to the knob: the powder of resin takes fire, and communicates its flame to the cotton, and both together burn long enough to light a candle. As I do not want more than half a minute to light my candle in this way, I find it a readier method than kindling it by a flint and steel, or calling a servant. I have found that powder of white or yellow resin lights easier than that of brown. The farina hydropodii may be used for the same purpose; but it is not so good as the powder of resin, because it does not take fire quite so readily, requiring a stronger spark not to miss: besides, it is soon burnt away. By dipping the cotton in oil of turpentine, the same effect may be as readily obtained, if you take a jar somewhat greater in size. This oil will inflame so much the readier if you throw a few fine particles of brass upon it. The pin dust is the best for this purpose: but as this oil is scattered about by the explosion, and when kindled fills the room with much more smoke than the powder of resin, I prefer the last."

Candle-Bomb, a name given to small glass bubbles, having a neck about an inch long, with a very slender bore, by means of which a small quantity of water is introduced into them, and the orifice afterwards closed up. This stalk being put through the wick of a burning candle, the vicinity of the flame soon rarefies the water into steam, by the elasticity of which the glass is broken with a loud crack.

Candle is also a term of medicine, and is reckoned among the instruments of surgery. Thus the candela fumalis, or the candela pro fulgore odorata, is a mass of an oblong form, consisting of odoriferous powders mixed up with a third or more of the charcoal of willow or lime tree, and reduced to a proper consistency with a mucilage of gum tragacanth, labdanum, or turpentine. It is intended to excite a grateful smell without any flame, to correct the air, to fortify the brain, and to excite the spirits.

Medicated Candle, the same with Bougie.

Candle. Sale or auction by inch of candle, is when a small piece of candle, being lighted, the bystanders are allowed to bid for the merchandise that is selling; but the moment the candle is out, the commodity is adjudged to the last bidder.

There is also an excommunication by inch of candle; when the sinner is allowed to come to repentance while a candle continues burning; but after it is consumed, he remains excommunicated to all intents and purposes.

Rub CANDLES, used in different parts of England, are made of the pith of a sort of rushes, peeled or stripped of the skin, except on one side, and dipped in melted grease.

CANDLE-Wood, slips of pine about the thickness of a finger, used in New England and other colonies to burn instead of candles, giving a very good light. The French inhabitants of Tortuga use slips of yellow sandal-wood for the same purpose, and under the same denomination, which yields a clear flame though of a green colour.

CANDLEBERRY tree. See MYRICA, BOTANY Index.