HUMAN VOLCANO.

117

MISCELLANEOUS.

BURNING, or HUMAN VOLCANO.

There are circumstances related, which, were we notcertain that the authority was good from whence they arereported,' would not have our attention,—which have refer-ence to an ignition discovered sometimes to take placein the human frame, producing its entire destruction. Itis first to be observed, that those subjects where this has oc-curred, are generally fat, chiefly women, and in years, also inthe habit of frequent indulgence in inebriety, generally ex-cessive drinkers of spirits; likewise that it has generallyhappened when the party was in an intoxicated state.

Of the intensity of this fire we may form some idea, becausethe fiercest funereal fires always left relics of bones or somesmall portion of the body uuconsumed; whereas, this firereduces the bones and every part of the body into an im-palpable powder, in a state of humidity.

A philosopher of Verona has maintained, we understand,in a series of sound argument and clear ratiocination, that aconflagation may arise from the inflammable nature of materialsfound existing in the human frame, without the aid of anyexterior cause. Some maintain, and among them SignorBranchini, that in one instance which we shall recount, itarose, as well from internal fire, as from some camphoratedspirit of wine, which the lady had been previously using.

There was a spontaneous combustion took place in thecase of a woman of Paris , who was in the habit of drinkingbrandy to excess, and who was one night reduced to ashes fromthe before mentioned cause,—all but her head and the endsof her fingers. Novum I/umen Phosphor, accens. Amst. 1717.The second was Signora Corn. Zangari, or as called Corn.Bandi, a lady aged 02, of unblemished life, near Cesena, inRomagna , who suffered the same fate. This is the case towhich previous allusion is made, in the remark by SignorBranchini: she had retired to her chamber somewhat in-disposed, and in the morning was found in the middle ofthe room, reduced to ashes, all except her face, skull,

J Phil. Transactions, JVo. 476. p. 453, etseq.