halls of different size, and also with a variety of illuminants, and this in most lanterns can be easily provided for.
The body is usually a matter of taste and price only, and may range from a simple but efficient shell of Russian iron to an elaborate mahogany instrument with a brass front, screw tilting arrangements and other adornments; but of late years there has been a wholesome reaction against unnecessary finish, and a simple metal body of some description is now chiefly the order of the day. In the foregoing remarks the various parts of a lantern have been mentioned in what I should consider the correct order, starting from the slide and slide-holder, and so to speak building up the rest of the instrument round these items; but I now propose somewhat to vary the procedure and for convenience deal in detail first with the Radiant, or Illuminant.
CHAPTER II
THE ILLUMINANT
The first necessity for lantern projection is a strong light, and this can be obtained from a variety of sources, the principal means in common use being approximately in order of excellence as follows: paraffin-oil, incandescent spirit, incandescent gas, acetylene, acetylene air blast, oxyhydrogen (limelight), oxyether, and electric light in its various forms. The ideal characteristics to be sought for are (1) great intrinsic brilliancy; (2) minimum size of luminous spot; (3) freedom from flicker; (4) freedom from smell; (5) absence of any preponderating colour; (6) cheapness; and (7) convenience. There is no question whatever as to which of the available sources of light most perfectly combines all the above if it is available, viz. the electric arc. If a current supply is in
the building, this form of lighting easily excels all others, except possibly in the matter of flicker, and even in this respect there is very little fault to be found with it.
From all other points of view it is wellnigh perfect, inasmuch as it provides an extremely concentrated and intensely luminous spot, of almost perfect whiteness (if anything slightly bluish), no smell, comparatively little heat, convenient and inexpensive. So great is the advantage of the electric arc that attempts have been made to use it from accumulators in places where a current supply is not available, but this cannot be seriously recommended, except in special cases. Where an electric supply is, however, available there can be no real choice, whether the lantern is required for use in a large hall or a small class-room. The advantages of using the arc are so great that no other method need be seriously considered.
The one real objection that I have heard urged against it is due, curiously enough, to its very perfection, and that is, that it lends itself to such exceedingly sharp definition that any slight imperfection in the slide is too faithfully reproduced on the screen, for which reason it is sometimes recommended that the operator shall work with the objective the least fraction out of focus; but this is a matter for individual taste and judgment.
If, however, there is no possibility of using the electric current, one of the other sources of illumination must perforce be adopted, and for a large hall this can only be limelight in one of its many forms, viz. oxyhydrogen, oxyether, oxyacetylene, &c. As regards results on the screen, this light compares well even against the electric arc, but it involves the expense and trouble of compressed gas cylinders, or the infinitely worse recourse to the now obsolete method of filling gas-bags.