Rushlight
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A rushlight is a type of candle formed using the dried pith of the rush plant as its wick. The green epidermis or rind was peeled to reveal the inner pith, aside from a single strip left to provide support. It was then dipped in any household fat or grease that was available although beeswax or good tallow, especially mutton fat, improved the quality of the light. In particularly thrifty households two strips of epidermis would be left, reducing the light output but extending the life of the rushlight.
Long before electricity or even paraffin candles, a rushlight provided very economical lighting. A rushlight 2/3 of a metre long (about 2 feet) might burn for an hour and cost practically nothing to make.
See also
| L i g h t i n g and L a m p s | ||
|---|---|---|
| Incandescent: | Incandescent light bulb>Conventional - Halogen - Parabolic Aluminized Reflector (PAR) |
|
| Fluorescent: | Compact fluorescent lamp>Compact Fluorescent (CFL) - Linear fluorescent - Induction lamp | |
| Gas discharge: | High-intensity discharge lamp>High-Intensity Discharge (HID) - Mercury-vapor - Metal-halide - Neon - Sodium vapor | |
| Electric arc: | Arc lamp - Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide>HMI - Xenon arc - Yablochkov candle | |
| Combustion: | Carbide lamp>Acetylene/Carbide - Candle - Gas lighting - Kerosene lamp - Limelight - Oil lamp - Safety lamp | |
| Other types: | Sulfur lamp - Light-emitting diode>Light-Emitting Diode (LED) - Optical fiber - Plasma | |
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