The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-11-11

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'thewisp
(Which occasionally misleads unfor-
tunate travellers into boggy places
and the corpse candles" said TO be
often seen moving about in the mys-
terious and awesome darkness oi
cemeteries? The "sheeted dead" ard
alleged to carry these candles in their
Rhostly 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 a selfignitable
substance. Indeed, water will set it
on fire. If bit of phosphide of cal
cium be dropped into a saucer of wa
ter, it will instantly burst into fame,
on which account, in the laboratory,
to protect it from dampness, it has
to be kept in an alright jar
Three other self-ignitable 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 fa-
miliar use for flashlight purposes by
photographers. The other two are
sodium and potassium-rather more
than five ounces of each. A piece of
the former, if thrown into water.
bursts into a rosy fame, and swims
about violently on the surface until
burned out. The latter is likewise set
a1re by contact with water, on touch,
ing which 1t explodes like fireworks.
throwing shower Of sparks into the
air. AS for magnesium, it is so fierce
ly combustible that it has to be kept
tightly corked in glass bottles, to pre-
vent 1t from igniting.
Thus is appears that the human
body contains, in considerable quanti-
ties, quite a number of substances
which are self-ignttable, 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 de.
cay going on very gradually, they
pass off slowly, by evaporation, and
not in any such way as that above de.
scribed. They present themselves to
the view, In darkness, as mere chem
ical manations-luminesce blown
about by light airs, or dissipated en-
tirely for the moment by a passing
gust of wind. In all probability they
consist mainly of phosphorus.
One cannot capture a ghost of this
kind. 1t cannot be trapped in a box
or bottle and conveyed to a scientific
laboratory for examination or analy
sis. Hence 1t Is likely that the true
composition Of phantoms will forever
remain as much mystery as 1t is to
day. But (supposing the theory here
set forth to be correct) It is a comfort
to know, in d 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 E
Munroe, famous chemist, and dean
Of the George Washington university
who even goes so far as to declare
that he could at pinch produce in
his laboratory phantoms in all i'm
portant respects corresponding tc
those which graveyards are popularity
supposed to manufacture