^548 On Spontaneous Inflammations , 
certain consistence is employed, it often happens that the 
oil inflames, if the necessary precautions are not taken* 
The same effect is produced in melting butter, tallow, or 
any other greasy substance, if it be too much heated ; so 
that in these operations every other combustible body 
should be kept at a distance, and a covering should be in 
readiness to place over the vessel as soon as the matter 
has caught fire : care also ought to be taken not to pour 
in water, which, instead of extinguishing the fire, would 
give more expansion to its activity. 
7. Torrefi action. 
There are many vegetable substances which by torre- 
faction acquire an increase of their property to inflame 
spontaneously if inclosed in bags of cloth, which leave 
them in contact with the surrounding atmosphere. Of 
this kind are sawdust, burnt coffee, the farina of grami- 
neous and the fruits of leguminous plants, such as beans, 
lentils, pease, &c. 
There are several instances of fires breaking out in 
stables by a bag of torrefied bran applied to the neck of 
a diseased animal, and which inflamed spontaneously. 
The people in the country persist in employing this re- 
medy, for which others more efficacious and less dange- 
rous might be substituted. At any rate, they ought to take 
care not to inclose the bran in cloth either too hot or too 
much torrefied. 
Brewers, after causing the barley and other grain 
which they use for beer to germinate, dry it in a kiln or 
stove, except that destined for pale beer ; and they gene- 
rally dry it in a greater or less degree, to give to the beer 
a colour more or less dark. If the grain when taken from 
the kiln is put warm into sacks, it sometimes happens 
that they inflame, and occasion fires in brew-houses. 
