333 0« t^' Comhufaon of the Human BoJj', 



tion. 5. When the molecuL-e of caloric, are accumulated 

 in that body, they are thrown off from it by the force of re- 

 pulfion; and from this refuhs the fublime harmony of at- 

 traction and repulfion, the only caufe of the equilibrium of 



the imiverfe. 



[To be continued.] 



VIT. On the Combujiion of the Human Body, produced hy 

 the long and immoderate life of Spirituous Liquors. By 

 PiERRE-AiME Lair*. 



I 



N natural as well as civil hiftory there are fafts prefented 

 to the meditation of the obfervcr, which, though confirmed 

 by the mod convincing teftimony, feem on the firft view to 

 be deflitute of probability. Of this kind is that of people 

 confumed by coming into contaft with common fire, and of 

 their bodies being reduced to aflics. How can we conceive 

 th»t fire, in certain circumftances, can excrcife fo powerful 

 an aftion on the human body as to produce this effeft ? One 

 mieht be induced to give lefs faith to thefe inftances of com- 

 buiiion as they feem to be rare. I confefs that at firft they 

 appeared to me worthy of very little credit, but they are pre- 

 fented to the public as true by men whofe veracity fecms un- 

 queftionable. Bianchini, Maffei, RoUi, Le Cat, Vicq-d'Azyr, 

 and feveral men diftinguifhed by their learning, have given 

 certain teftimony of the fafts. Befidcs, is it more furprifing 

 10 experience fuch incineration than to void faccharine urine, 

 or to fee the bones foftened to fuch a degree as to be reduced 

 to the ftate of a jelly ? The effcfts of this combuftion are 

 certainly not more wonderful than thofe of the bones foften- 

 ed, or of the diabetes mellitus. This morbific difpofition, 

 therefore, w-ould be one more fcourge to affli£l humanity ; 

 but in phyfics, facts being always preferable to reafoning, 

 I fliall here colledt thofe which appear to me to bear the 

 impreffion of truth; and, left I fhould alter the fenfe, I fhall 

 quote them fuch as they are given in the works from which 

 I have extr?.6led them. 



■\Ve read in the Tranfadtions of Copenhagen, that in 169:5 



* From the J'jurnal de Fhyjlque, Pluviofe, year 3. 



a womar^ 



