Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-09-15

!, should be conducted through the Civ OF
Warrington. A SIoChHoLDEK'
On the Spontaneous Combustion ofthe Hu-
man Body.
On the 18th Nav 1918; VI. Julia Fontenelle
read. in the Academy of Sciences at Fans.
memoir entitled, Recherches Ch'miques ct Me-
dicaIes sur less Conclusions Humaines SPon'
tanees.
The observation. which form the subject Of
this memoir are highly deserving Of attention.
In fact beSides the interest which they are ca
pable Of exciting from their very nature, they
afford new example Of one OF those phenom-
ena. the existence Of which has, in these later
times. beer questioned solely because, while
thew are very singular and difficult 10 be &C
counted for. they are also Of such rare occur
renee. tha, they can only he authenticated 6v
an aggregate mass ofevidence, which evidence,
although sufficient to induce conviction, may
always Se rejected By those who are preJudlc'
ed. or who do not give themselves the trouble
of duly estimating their vslne.
Are there really sponr ancous combus'lons oil
the human bodyl Such is the hrst question
which the author examines, and he resolves II
in the affirmative. Fifteen observations oil
SPONTANEOUS combu s,ions, which he successive
ly relates enables him not only to establish the
Inc OneeStdOIf rceis.,- It 'tS lHSH"">"o'S 49, -
so TO make known the principal circnm stances
which accompany its manifestation. In sum-
ming IN these circumstances, he remarks:
7. That persons, who have been destroyed by
Simultaneous combustion, have, tor the most
part, been immoderately addicted to the use OF
spirituous liquors..
2. That this combustion is almos. always
general, bu, tha: it may be only partial.
g. That il is much rarer in men than In wo-
men. and that the women 10 which il has been
manifested, have almos, all been aged, one wo-
man only was seventeen years OF age, and inner
the combustion was but partial:
4. That the body and vicera have always
been burnt, while the feet, the hands, and the
TOD Of the head, have almost always escaped.
S. Although it is demonstrated that several
loads Of wood are neces sary Tor the reducing OF
dead body to ashes by ordinary combustion
incarceration is effected in spontaneous con,bus
tons without the mos, coInbustble object,
placed i'm the vicinity being burnt. In one case
There was a very singular coincidence OF two
persons bring consumed at the same time, IN
the same apartment, without the apartment VI
the furniture being burnt.
s. Ills not demonstrated that the presence
of b. rning body is necessary tor producing
.pontanenus combustion of the human body;
on the contrary there Is every reason TO oeheNe
the reverse.
?. Water, so Gar from extinguisbihg the
Rame. seems TO render it more active; and alter
fame has disappe AIRED, the intimate comous-
ton continues To be- effected.
q Simultaneous combuslions have appeared
more frequently in winter than IN summer.
9. No remedy has been found Tor general
combustion, bo, only FOR partial.
10. Those who undergo spontaneous com
h,,,;on are the nrey of violent internal heat.
II. Spontaneous combustion deveiopes It
self suddenly, and consumes the body in 'ew
hours.
IL The paris Of the body which are mol
consumed by it are attacked with sphaoslus.
IS In individuals affected by spontaneous
combustion, there supervenes putrid deterio.
ration, which presently brings on gangrene.
IL The resipuum Of spontaneous combus-
ton consists Of greasy ashes, and an unc'uous
SCOT, both having a fetid odour, which dlffuses
itself equally through the apartment inpreg
mating the furniture, and extending 10 grea,
distance.
The author then explains the two theories
ofcombusiion between which The learned world
is at present divided, Lavoisier's, and that late
~ proposed by Berzelius He then gives an ac-
count Of the theories proposed for the e1pIana-
ton Of the phenomenon in question.
Most authors who have spoken Of spontane-
Gus conclusions have imagined they cisco yer,
ed an intimate relation between their NANTES
ration and the immoderate use of spurious Ii.
ouors, being continually in contact with the
stomach, penetrate through the tissues, and fl