The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-16
From Chambers Journal
POPULAR MEDICAL ERRORS.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.

From Chambers Journal
POPULAR MEDICAL ERRORs.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.
We often hear people speak Of spontane-
Gus combustion in joke, but the question may
sometimes arise, Are there, in reality, any
cases Of this kind Z Are we to credit the ac-
counts which are to be met with in books on
the subject There certainly are some very
extraordinary instances on record, some Of
which ] may very briefly mention The
singularity about the cases seems to be, that
the unfortunate sufferer is said to be con-
sumed literally to ashes, without the furni-
ture about him appearing to be more than
just scorched. II is stated in the Transac-
tons Of the Copenhagen Society "that a
woman who had been for three years accus-
toned to take spirituous liquors to excess,
and who took little nourshment, sat down
one evening in her chair, and was found con-
sumed in the morning, so that no part Of her
was found except the skull and the extreme
joints Of her fingers; all the rest Of her body
was reduced to ashes.n* One case is re-
lated Of Madame de Beiseon, who was
found by her maid on fire one day after she
had left her for few moments Water was
brought and thrown on her, but it only seem
ed to make the fire rage more and more.
Finally, she was burnt to a skeleton in her
chair, which, by the by, was only little
scorched, These cases, think, will suffice;
many more might be adduced, but they all
seem TO be Of the same kind. think it
would require very good evidence to make
one credit them.
That combustion Of the human body can
arise spontaneously, as the term implies, does
not, think, find many partisans at the pre-
sent time but as in most Of the cases re-
corded there seems reason to believe that
t patient was placed in circumstances in
which he might catch fire from ordinary
causes, the question further arises, Can there
be high combustibility Of the body1 On
this point there is not time to enter fully, as
so many subjects have to come before US.
may state, however, that many very respect
able authorities admit it as possible that the
body may be preternaturally combustible
amongst whom ! may mention DR.. Alfred
Taylor of Guys Hospital.
MILK.
Milk forms very nutritious and digesti-
BILE article of food, and on many occasions
medical men have to recommend it as the
best adapted for the exigencies Of the case in
point. There is an opinion, however, very
common, which imagine to be in great
measure erroneous, that milk produces
phlegm, and is, therefore, very much to be
avoided in all cases Of coughs. will not
undertake to say that milk il always proper
for invalids; but must say that / regard
this peculiar phlegm-producing quality Of
milk to be in great measure bugbear,
which does not deserve a serious considera-
ton. can conceive It very possible that
persons OF plethoric habit, who drink large
quantities Of malt liquor, may SO gorge the
lungs with blood, that an increased secretion
of mucus (the so-callea phlegm) may arise;
but think that such a result is very little
likely to have its origin in a milk diet. Still
people will affirm that milk does not agree
with them, and would not undertake to say
that such is not the case. | only wish to
state that the objection which is commonly
made to milk in coughs does not seem TO me
to deserve credit.
vACCINATIoN.
It is a common belief that there is risk
Of introducing with the vaccine virus the
diseases, or even constitutional tendencies, OF
the infant from whom the virus is taken.
On this account mothers are very particular
that the matter be got from good source,
and some will even insist upon seeing the
child themselves II il were really the case
that the vaccine virus communicated more
than the cow-pox, it might be found val
liable nsof communicating vigorous con-
sttutonal powers to sickly children, and
would even be more valuable in this wa,
than in its application as preventive Of
smallpox. cannot, however, for my part
imagine that there is any such effect. AT
the time when the great Jenner was endeav-
oring to diifuse his views in respect to the
vaccine incubation, many objections were
industriously brought forward, and, amongst
others, il was said that the diseases Of the
COW would be thus introduced into the hui
man subject This was very parallel kind
Of reasoning. 'a
EXPERIMENTS.
People are very ready to suppose that ex-
periments are tried on them by medica
men. have always assured those who ex-
press this fear that they give the profession
credit for a deal more ingenuity than is pos
sessed by it. Ireally do not believe the
great bulk Of medical men, il pressed on the
subject, could offer new suggestions in every
case, at least such as they dare try. Think
how long active and intelligent men have
been cudgelling tier brains to find out new
remedies and what is there left for us to DO
Then, again, il we abandon the legitimate
road, we open ourselves to risks which are
more likely to mar than make us. be as.
sured il is very seldom indeed that medical
men make use Of untried means on their
nat;ents. and that there is very little fear Of