170 On the Combustion of the Human Body , 
iebrse, a portion of the tibia, and a part of the omoplate ; 
and these, even, were so calcined, that they became dust 
by the least pressure. The right foot was found entire, 
and scorched at its upper junction ; the left was more 
burnt. The day had been cold, but there was nothing in 
the grate except two or three bits of wood, about an inch 
in diameter, burnt in the middle. None of the furniture 
in the apartment was damaged. The chair on which 
Mademoiselle Thuars had been sitting, was found at the 
distance of a foot from her, and absolutely untouched. I 
must here observe, that this lady was exceedingly cor- 
pulent ; that she was above sixty years of age, and much 
addicted to spirituous liquors ; that the day even of her 
death she had drunk three bottles of wine and about a 
bottle of brandy ; and that the consumption of the body 
had taken place in less than seven hours, though, accord 
ing to appearance, nothing around the body was burnt 
but the clothes,** 
The town of Caen affords several other instances of 
the same kind. I have been told by many people, and 
particularly a physician of Argentan, named Bouffet, au- 
thor of an Essay on Intermittent Fevers, that a woman 
of the lower class, who lived at Place Pillars, and who 
was known to be much addicted to strong liquor, had 
been found in her house burnt. The extremities of her 
body only were spared, but the furniture was very little 
damaged. 
A like unfortunate accident happened also at Caen to 
another old woman addicted to drinking. I was assured 
by those who told me the fact, that the dames which pro- 
ceeded from the body could not be extinguished by wa- 
ter 5 but I think it needless to relate the particulars of 
this and of another similar event which took place in the 
same town, because, as they were not attested by a pro- 
