HUMAN VOLCANO.

119

strong spirituous liquors ; to which intemperance the inhabi-tants of the north are most subject, and consequently to theseaccidents. 2d. They are usually very fat. 3d. The combus-tion has happened more frequently in the case of women.4th. These women were old. 5th. In one case their bodiesdid not appear to have been burnt by a combustion perfectlyspontaneous; but perhaps in consequence of some very slight- exterior cause, as a lighted taper, candle, or tobacco-pipe.6th. The extremities of their bodies, as the legs, hands, cra-nium, &c. escaped the fire. 7th. Water, as in the burningof oil, or greasy substances, would increase, it is conceived,,instead of allaying the flame. 8th. The fire very slightlydamaged, and in some instances did not injure other com-bustible objects with which it came in contact at the momentthe body was consuming. 9th. The combustion of thesebodies left a residuum of oily and foetid ashes, with greasysoot of a most disagreable smell. 1

After the enumeration of these circumstances, the authoradvances a variety of hypotheses to endeavour to ascertainthe cause, hut without effect; the facts not being sufficientlynumerous, to give aid to his purpose. 3

We are inclined to embrace the hypothesis advanced inthe previously cited Journal de Medicine; which is, thatthese destroying internal fires are first produced in the sto-mach and intestines of the body by inflamed effluvia, or juices,and fermentations in the stomach; perhaps aided by thatphosphoric or carbonaceous gas, arising from strong fermen-tation of spirits, &c. formed in the region of the stomach, of asimilar nature with that discovered in empty vessels which hadcontained strong spirits, or in mines, which sometimes takes(ire on contact with the igneous element; and from thephosphoric and camphoric nature of numerous juices whichabound in the human body, particularly in fat subjects.The fiery evaporations which exhale from the settling ofspirits in the tunica villosa of the stomach, and otheradipose fat membranes without, which those spirits ingenderfumes of a camphorated quality, which in sleep are augmentedby full respiration, and are put in a stronger motion andmore apt to take fire.

T'ue insulated and in part concealed facts which haveattended all those instances, except the one at Warsaw,will not afford a sufficiency of evidence to arrive at theexact cause, to enable us to ascribe it to any definite cir-cumstance, except those general ones previously enu-merated. Therefore the most we can do is to caution, with

1 Phil. Trans. No. i76, p. 453, et sfq.

3 Ibid.