p^-aduced by the Ufe of Spirituous Liquors, 133 



a woman of the lower clafs, who for three years had ufed 

 Ipii'ituous liquors to fuch exccfs that ilie would take no other 

 nourifliment, having fat down one evening on a {Iraw chair 

 to fleep, was confumed in the night-tirae, fo that next morn- 

 ing no part of her was found but the fkull and the extreme 

 joints of the lingers; all the reft of her body, fays Jacobaeus, 

 was reduced to afhes. 



The following extract of ihe n;emolr of Bianchini is taken 

 from the Annual RegiQer for 1763: — ^The Countefs Cor- 

 nelia Bandi, of the town of Cefena, aged 63, enjoyed a good 

 ftate of health. One evening, having experienced a foi't of 

 drowfinefs, flie retired to bed, and her maid remained with 

 her till fhc fell aflcep. Next morning, when the girl entered 

 to awaken her niiftrefs, flie found nothing but the remains 

 of her body in the moft horrid condition. At the diftance 

 of four feet from the bed was a heap of aflies, in which could 

 be diftingp.lflaed the legs and arms untouched. Between the 

 legs lay the head, the brain of which, together with half the 

 pofterior part of the cranium^ and the whole chin, had been 

 confumed : three fingers were found in the ftate of a coal ; 

 the reft of the body was reduced to aflies, wliich, when 

 touched, left on the fingers a fat, foetid moifture. A fniali 

 lamp which ftood on the floor was covered with afties, and 

 contained no oil; the tallow of two candles was melted on 

 a table, but the wicks ftill remained, and the feet of the can- 

 dlcfticks were covered with a certain moiftnre. The bed was 

 not damaged ; the bed-clothes and coverlid were raifed up 

 and thrown on one fide, as is the cafe when a perfon gets 

 up. The furniture and tapeftry were covered with a moift ' 

 kind of foot of the colour of allies, which had penetrated into, 

 the drawers and dirtied the linen. This foot having been 

 conveyed to a neighbouring kitchen, adhered to the walla 

 and the utenfils. A piece of bread in the cupboard was 

 covered with it, and no dog would touch it. The infeftious. 

 odour had been communicated to other apartments. The 

 Annual Rcgiiter ftates, that the Countefs of Cefena was ac- 

 cuftomed to bathe all her body in camphorated fpirit of wine. 

 Bianchini cauled the details of this deplorable event to be 

 imblifhcd at the lime when it took nlacc, and no one con- 

 tradicted 



