] It is floating, as the balloon floated, by virtue of the
greater weight of the carbonic acid than of the air. And now, having so
far given you the history of the carbonic acid--as to its sources in the
candle, as to its physical properties and weight--when we next meet I
shall shew you of what it is composed, and where it gets its elements
from.
LECTURE VI.
CARBON OR CHARCOAL--COAL GAS--RESPIRATION AND ITS ANALOGY TO THE BURNING
OF A CANDLE--CONCLUSION.
A lady, who honours me by her presence at these Lectures, has conferred a
still further obligation by sending me these two candles, which are from
Japan, and, I presume, are made of that substance to which I referred in a
former lecture. You see that they are even far more highly ornamented than
the French candles; and, I suppose, are candles of luxury, judging from
their appearance. They have a remarkable peculiarity about them--namely, a
hollow wick,--that beautiful peculiarity which Argand introduced into the
lamp, and made so valuable. To those who receive such presents from the
East, I may just say that this and such like materials gradually undergo a
change which gives them on the surface a dull and dead appearance; but
they may easily be restored to their original beauty, if the surface be
rubbed with a clean cloth or silk handkerchief, so as to polish the little
rugosity or roughness: this will restore the beauty of the colours.
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