The Jackson herald., 1910-11-17

an emanation that is highly phosphor.
escent, causing the phenomenon term
ed will-o-the-wisp," or "elf fire" II
Is not reasonable to suppose that
there is some relation, in respect to
cause, between the will.o'.the-wisp
(which occasionally misleads unfor.
tunate travellers into boggy places)
and the corpse candles" said to be
often seen moving about Ia the mys.
terious and awesome darkness OF
cemeteries? The "sheeted dead" are
alleged to carry these candles in their
ghostly hands when they walk about
among the graves at night.
The skeleton of an adult human
being contains about four pounds OF
the metal calcium. This, In fact, is
the most abundant metallic element
of the body structure. In the fluids
of the body, also, there Is a good deal
of It. But calcium and phosphorus,
when combined, form selfignitable
substance. Indeed. water will set II
on fire. If bit of phosphide OF cal
cium be dropped into saucer OF wa
ter, 1t will instantly burst into flame,
on which account, In the laboratory.
to protect 1t from dampness. 1t has
to be kept In en- air.tight jar.
Three other selfignitable sub
stances, all OF them metals, are con.
tanned in the human body. One OF
these (about two ounces In quantity
is the silvery-white magnesium-of IA
miliar use for flashlight purposes by
photographers. The other two are
sodium and potassium-rather more
than FIVE ounces of each. 4 piece of
the former If thrown into water,
bursts into n rosy flame, and sUims
about violently on the surface until
burned out The latter is likewise set
atre by contact with water, on touch.
ing which II eXplodcs like fireworks,
throwing n shower of sparks into the
air. As for magnesium, 1t is so fierce.
ly combustible that ii has to be kept
tightly corked in glass bottles, to pre-.
vent it from igniting.
Thus Is appears that the human
body contains, in considerable auaDti.
ties, quite a number OF substances
which are selfignitable, and fiercely
So on coming into contact with water
The marvel is that we refrain from
going off by spontaneous combustion.
so TO speak, while we are alive. When
burned, these substances, of course
convert themselves into gases, which
are luminous. Under favoring grave.
yard conditions (the processes of dc.
cay gong on very gradually, thew
pass off slowly, by evaporation. and
not In any such way as that above de.
scribed, They present themselves 10
lhe view, In darkness, as mere chem.
zeal nations-.hminescen blown
about by light airs, or dissipated on.
trely for the moment by a passing
gust OF wind. In all probability thew
consist mainly Of phosphorus.
One cannot capture ghost of this
KIND. 1t cannot be trapped in n box
or bottle and conveyed to a scientific
! laboratory for examination or anaIv.
sis. Hence It is likely that the true
composition of phantoms will forover
remain as much mystery MS It is To.
day. But (supposing the t4eory here
set forth to be correct) II is n comfort
to Know In a general way, what grave.
yard spectres are made Of
When people are murdered. and
their bodies (as often hapens) are
buried in cellars or other damp places
their ghosts, for the chemical reasons
already given, are particularly likely
to walk. SO says Prof. Charles b
Munroe, famous chemist, and dean
of the George Washington university
who even goes SO far as to declare
that he could at a pinch produce IN
his laboratory phantoms in all i'm
portant respects corresponding &c
those which graveyards are popularly
supposed to manufacture