168 On the Spontaneous Combustion irf-'the Human Body, 



could only be incinerated at a red heat, while, on the contrary, 

 there is nothing but ashes ; 3. Because one of the products of 

 spontaneous combustion of the human body is an unctuous sub- 

 stance, which the combustion of animal substances never yields ; 

 4. Because it scarcely yields any ammoniacal products, while such 

 are always produced by animal combustion. 



After thus rejecting all the hypotheses hitherto proposed, M. 

 Julia Fontenelle concludes that this phenomenon is the result 

 of an internal decomposition, and is altogether independent of 

 the influence of external agents. We give his own words : 



" We consider,"" says he, " what are called spontaneous com- 

 bustions of the human body, not as true combustions, but as 

 intimate and spontaneous reactions, which depend upon new 

 products originating from a degeneration of the muscles, ten- 

 dons, viscera, &c. These products, on uniting, present the 

 same phenomena as combustion, without losing any of the in- 

 fluence of external agents, whether by admitting the effect of 

 the opposite electricities of Berzelius, or by adducing in ex- 

 ample the inflammation of hydrogen, by its contact with chlo- 

 rine, arsenic, or pulverized antimony, projected into this latter 

 gas, &c. 



It may be objected, however, that whatever may be the cause 

 which induces this combustion, the caloric disengaged ought to 

 be considerable, and consequently should ignite all the objects 

 in the neighbourhood. We reply to this, that all combustible 

 substances do not by any means disengage an equal quantity of 

 caloric by combustion. Davy has shewn, that a metallic 

 gauze, having 160 holes in the square inch, and made of wire 

 one-sixtieth of an inch in diameter, is penetrated at the ordinary 

 temperature by the flame of hydrogen gas, vvhile it is imperme- 

 able to that of alcohol, unless the gauze be very much heated. 

 According to the same chemist, gauze of this kind, raised to 

 a red heat, allows the flame of hydrogen gas to pass through it, 

 without being permeable to percarburetted hydrogen gas. It 

 is probable from this, that the products arising from the dege- 

 neration of the body, may be very combustible, without, how- 

 ever, disengaging as much caloric as the other combustible 

 bodies known, and without leaving a residuum as the two latter 

 gases ; and, in fine, we are of opinion, that, in some subjects, 



