SPONTANEOUS SUBSTANCES. 131 



of the Turio Academy, to have happened at a flour warehouse at 

 Turin, containing about three hundred sacks of flour. It began 

 by a violent explosion, on a lamp being brought into the ware, 

 house, and the whole was soon after in flames. Charcoal alone 

 also has boon known to take fire in powder-mills, when quantities 

 of it in powder have been kept for some time closely packed. 

 Another, and totally different species of spontaneous combu K tion, 

 is that which occurs during the oxygenation or vitriolization of 

 pyrites, or sulphurets of iron, copper, &c. 



A most curious, and, if not well authenticated, a scarcely ere- 

 dible species of spontaneous inflammation, is that in a few rare 

 instances, known to occur in the human body. It is not quite 

 certain indeed, whether the first inflammation has been quite spon. 

 taneous, or caused by the approach of a lighted substance ; but in 

 these melancholy accidents, the body of the unfortunate sufferers 

 has been brought to a state of such high combustibility, that the 

 flame once kindled, has gone on without other fuel, to the entire 

 destruction of every part, (the bones and extremities excepted) 

 and, as it appears, has been attended with actual flame, of a lam. 

 bent faint light. This change is the more remarkable, as the 

 human body, in all its usual states, both of health and disease, is 

 scarcely at all of itself combustible, and cannot be reduced to 

 ashes without the assistance of a very large pile of faggots, or other 

 fuel ; as universal experience, in the very ancient mode of sepul. 

 ture, and the history of martyrdoms, abundantly shews. Cases of 

 this human combustion on record, have occurred in diflerent coun- 

 tries. Two of them, well authenticated, are recorded in the 

 Philosophical Transactions, and occurred in England ; and a fe\r 

 others in Italy, France, and elsewhere. In all but one, the sub. 

 jects of them have been females rather advanced in life, of indolent 

 habits, and apparently much addicted to spirituous liquors. 



The accident has generally been detected by the penetrating fetid 

 mell of burning and sooty films, which have spread to a great 

 distance ; and the sufferers have in every instance been discovered 

 dead, and with the body more or less completely burnt up, leaving 

 in the burnt parts only an oily, crumbly, sooty, and extremely 

 fetid matter. Another circumstance in which these cases all agree, 

 is the comparative weakness of the heat produced by this combus- 

 tion, notwithstanding the very complete disorganization of the 

 body itself, so that the furniture of the room, wooden chairs, &c. 



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