Argand

Amie, a Swiss physician and chemist. Born at Geneva about the middle of the eighteenth century. Died 1803. He is noted as the inventor of the Argand lamp. The use of the old-fashioned round wick was always attended with smoke and more or less of foul smell, owing to an imperfect combustion of the carbon in the oil. A flat wick is a great improvement upon the round one, as it enables more air to reach the flame. Argand conceived the plan of circular wicks shaped like a hollow cylinder, admitting air to the flame on the inside as well. He also patented an invention for a slow feed from a reservoir, thus keeping the surface of the oil at the same level. The French Revolution annulled his patents from which he appears to have received little profit, but a great deal of annoyance. See Light