in a Flour - Warehouse . 
61 
ed at Brest, in the year 1757? was caused by the sponta- 
neous inflammation of some oiled cloths, which, after 
having been painted on one side, and dried in the son, 
were stowed away while yet warm, as was shewn by 
subsequent experiments.* 
Vegetables boiled in oil or fat, and left to themselves^ 
after having been pressed, inflame in the open air. This 
inflammation always takes place when the vegetables re- 
tain a certain degree of humidity ; if they are first tho- 
roughly dried, they are reduced to ashes, without the ap- 
pearance of flame. We owe the observation of these 
facts to M M. Saladin and Carette.f 
The heaps of linen rags which are thrown together in 
paper manufactories, the preparation of which is hastened 
by means of fermentation, often take fire if not carefully 
attended to. 
The spontaneous inflammation of hay has been known 
for many centuries; by its means, houses, barns, &c. 
have been often reduced to ashes. When the hay is laid 
up damp, the inflammation often happens ; for, the fer- 
mentation is then very great. This accident very seldom 
occurs to the first hay, (according to the observation of 
M. de Bomare,) but is much more common to the second; 
and if, through inattention, a piece of iron should be left 
in a stack of hay in fermentation, the inflammation of 
that stack is almost a certain consequence. On this sub- 
ject, an excellent memoir of M. Sennebieri may be con- 
sulted. Corn, heaped up, has also sometimes produced 
inflammation of this nature ; Vanieri, in his Frmdium 
Rusticum , says, 
Qiue vero fgraminaj nondum satis insolata recorders 
Imprudens , subitis pariunt incendia jiammis, 
* See Memoires de 1’Academie de Paris. 1760 
f Journal de Physique. 1784. 
t Journal de Physique, 1781 
