Keith Middleton Jr (X) Jan 20, 2019:

"dim the lamp" or "dim the light"

Charles Davis Jan 20, 2019:

What kind of lamp? The Hound of the Baskervilles was first published in 1901–02. The date of the action is not stated, but it is probably meant to be recent; it must be after 1884, when Dr Mortimer left Charing Cross Hospital and moved to Dartmoor, where he has clearly been living for some time.

By this time, houses in urban areas had gaslight, though Baskerville Hall, where the action is set, probably didn't, since it was in an isolated rural area. And it wouldn't yet have had electric light at this time. However, paraffin lamps, which were much more efficient than traditional oil lamps, had been available since the 1860s, and an aristocratic house like this would almost certainly have had them. It could well have had the new incandescent paraffin lamps with the mantle patented in 1885. These could certainly be dimmed.

Here's a fun page on the subject:
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/lighting/lighti...

Lincoln Hui (asker) Jan 19, 2019:

Urgh. You're correct.

Taña Dalglish Jan 19, 2019:

goo.gl/KGs57g: It should read "The next night..." (not "light"). I think it would be fair to assume that "the flame of the lamp was lowered", i.e. less light - not as bright!