This is a very striking experiment, and is quite easy to perform. The apparatus is also quite simple, and may be easily obtained. It consists of a lamp-chimney, a cork, a cigarette, together with two little valves.
Fig. 3.—The self-smoking cigarette.
Tightly cork up one end of the lamp-chimney with a large cork, thus hermetically sealing it. In this cork bore two holes, one following the line of the cork’s axis and having exactly the same diameter as the cigarette: the other being oblique with respect to this axis, and having a much smaller diameter ([Fig. 3]).
Fig. 4.—The self-smoking cigarette.
It is now necessary to make the valves. This is done by cutting from a glove two round pieces of the skin or leather, which, by means of pins, may be fixed over the holes, one being above the little hole on the top of the cork, the other over the large hole on the under side of the cork.
The first valve allows the smoke to escape, at the same time preventing the entrance of any external air, whilst the lower valve allows the smoke from the cigarette to enter the glass tube, but will not allow it to escape by the same hole.
Having thus made the valves, next plunge the tube in the water as far as the cork, and place the cigarette in the hole made for it. After having lit it, proceed to make the lamp-chimney smoke it.
In order that it may inhale the smoke, slowly raise the glass. By so doing a vacuum is produced between the surface of the water and the bottom of the cork. To destroy this vacuum, air must enter from without, and the only means of its entrance is through the cigarette, as the valve on the top of the cork remains tightly closed. In passing through the cigarette this current of air greatly assists combustion, and the smoke formed will pass with the air into the lamp-chimney.