ARGAND, AI ME, physician and chemist, was born at Geneva about the middle of the 18th century. lie was the inventor of the well-known argand lamp. The chief diffi culties that attended the use of lamps as a source of light were—first, in procuring the complete combustion of the oil, so as to keel) the flame from smoking; and second, in oreventing, the level of the oil in the reservoir from sinking as the combustion goes on. The round cotton-wick, used in the old simple form of lamp, was always attended with and smell. The oils and fats are exceedingly rich in carbon, containing 70 to 80 per cent of that element, and only 10 to 12 of • I hydrogen. The round thick column, then, of oil-vapor rising from the wick of an old-fashioned lamp, presented too little extent of surface to the air; the oxygen of all the air that could get access was chiefly taken $ "Th, up in burning the hydrogen, and a large proportion of the carbon ascended in the burnt air as'smoke. A. 's improvement was that he tmade the wick in the form of a ring. The flame thus became a hollow cylinder with a current of air ascending through the inside, so that the burning surface was doubled. It would appear, however, that the
Argand Burner, lamp did not satisfy the expectations of A., till his younger brother accidentally discovered the effect of a glass cylinder, as a chimney over the flame, by which the flame. was steadied, a draught created, and the greatest possible amount of light yielded.
A. was soon involved in a dispute with one Lange of Paris regarding the originality of his invention. He went thither to vindicate his claim, but rather than risk the chances of a lawsuit, lie consented to share the honor, and a patent was obtained by which Lange and A. alone were authorized to make and sell the new lamps in France for 15 years. The French revolution, however, destroyed their privilege, and A. retired to England. After some time, he returned to his native country, a victim to melancholy and fantastic humors, and d. on the 24th Oct., 1803.