161 On the Combustion of the Human Body, 
propensity to this vice had increased after the death of 
her husband, which happened a year and a half before. 
For about a year, scarcely a day had passed in the course 
of which she did not drink at least half a pint of rum 
or aniseed -water. Her health gradually declined, and 
about the beginning of February she was attacked by the 
jaundice and confined to her bed. Though she was in- 
capable of much action, and not in a condition to work, 
she still continued her old habit of drinking every day 
and smoking a pipe of tobacco. The bed in which she 
lay stood parallel to the chimney of the apartment, and 
at the distance from it of about three feet. On Saturday 
morning, the 1st of March, she fell on the floor ; and her 
extreme weakness having prevented her from getting up, 
she remained in that state till some one entered and put 
her to bed. The following night she wished to be left 
alone. A woman quitted her at half after eleven, and, 
according to custom, shut the door and locked it. She 
had put on the fire two large pieces of coal, and placed 
a light in a candlestick on a chair at the head of her bed. 
At half after five in the morning a smoke was seen issu- 
ing through the window, and the door being speedily 
broke open, some flames which were in the room were 
soon extinguished. Between the bed and the chimney 
were found the remains of the unfortunate Clues : one leg 
and a thigh were still entire ; but there remained nothing 
of the skin, the muscles, and the viscera. The bones of 
the cranium, the breast, the spine, and the upper extremi- 
ties, were entirely calcined, and covered with a whitish 
efflorescence. The people were much surprised that the 
furniture had sustained so little injury. The side of the 
bed which was next to the chimney had suffered the 
most ; the wood of it was slightly burnt $ but the fea- 
ther-bed, the clothes, and covering, were safe. I enter- 
ed the apartment about two hours after it had been open- 
