-gauze
sieve. He introduced a very small lamp in a cylinder, made of wire-gauze,
having six thousand four hundred apertures in the square inch. He closed
all apertures except those of the gauze, and introduced the lamp, burning
brightly within the cylinder, into a large jar, containing several quarts
of the most explosive mixture of gas from the distillation of coal and
air; the flame of the wick immediately disappeared, or rather was lost,
for the whole of the interior of the cylinder became filled with a feeble
but steady flame of a green colour, which burnt for some minutes, till it
had entirely destroyed the explosive power of the atmosphere. This
discovery led to a most important improvement in the lamp, divested the
fire-damp of all its terrors, and applied its powers, formerly so
destructive, to the production of a useful light. Some minor
improvements, originating in Sir Humphry's researches into the nature of
flame, were afterwards effected. Experiments of the most satisfactory
nature were speedily made, and the invention was soon generally adopted.
Some attempts were made to dispute the honour of this discovery with its
author, but his claims were confirmed by the investigations of the first
philosophers of the age."[2]--The coal owners of the Tyne and Wear
evinced their sense of the benefits resulting from this invention, by
presenting Sir Humphry with a handsome service of plate worth nearly two
thousand pounds, at a public dinner at Newcastle, October 11, 1817.

In 1813, Sir Humphry was elected a corresponding member of the Institute
of France, and vice-president of the Royal Institution; in 1817, one of
the eight associates of the Royal Academy; in 1818 created a baronet, and
during the last ten years he has been elected a member of most of the
learned bodies of Europe.

We could occupy many pages with the interesting details of Sir Humphry
Davy's travels in different parts of Europe for scientific purposes,
particularly to investigate the causes of volcanic phenomena, to instruct
the miners of the coal districts in the application of his safety-lamp,
and to examine the state of the Herculaneum manuscripts and to illustrate
the remains of the chemical arts of the ancients. He analyzed the colours
used in painting by the ancient Greek and Roman artists. His experiments
were chiefly made on the paintings in the baths of Titus, the ruins
called the baths of Livia, in the remains of other palaces and baths of