anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第103部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bunches　thus　dropped　and　bathe　their　own　hands　in　the　fire。

〃No　satisfactory　explanation　seems　to　be　obtainable　as　to　the　means　by　which　the　dancers　in　this　extraordinary　performance　are　able　to　escape　injury。　Apparently　they　do　not　suffer　from　any　burns。　Doubtless　some　protection　is　afforded　by　the　earth　that　is　applied　to　their　bodies。〃

Spontaneous　combustion　of　the　human　body；　although　doubted　by　the　medical　men　of　this　day；　has　for　many　years　been　the　subject　of　much　discussion；　only　a　few　years　ago；　among　the　writers　on　this　subject；　there　were　as　many　credulous　as　there　were　skeptics。　There　is；　however；　no　reliable　evidence　to　support　the　belief　in　the　spontaneous　combustion　of　the　body。　A　few　apochryphal　cases　only　have　been　recorded。　The　opinion　that　the　tissues　of　drunkards　might　be　so　saturated　with　alcohol　as　to　render　the　body　combustible　is　disproved　by　the　simple　experiment　of　placing　flesh　in　spirits　for　a　long　time　and　then　trying　to　burn　it。　Liebig　and　others　found　that　flesh　soaked　in　alcohol　would　burn　only　until　the　alcohol　was　consumed。　That　various　substances　ignite　spontaneously　is　explained　by　chemic　phenomena；　the　conditions　of　which　do　not　exist　in　the　human　frame。　Watkins　in　speaking　of　the　inflammability　of　the　human　body　remarks　that　on　one　occasion　he　tried　to　consume　the　body　of　a　pirate　given　to　him　by　a　U。　S。　Marshal。　He　built　a　rousing　fire　and　piled　wood　on　all　night；　and　had　not　got　the　body　consumed　by　the　forenoon　of　the　following　day。　Quite　a　feasible　reason　for　supposed　spontaneous　human　combustion　is　to　be　found　in　several　cases　quoted　by　Taylor；　in　which　persons　falling　asleep；　possibly　near　a　fire；　have　been　accidentally　ignited；　and　becoming　first　stupefied　by　the　smoke；　and　then　suffocated；　have　been　burned　to　charcoal　without　awaking。　Drunkenness　or　great　exhaustion　may　also　explain　certain　cases。　In　substantiation　of　the　possibility　of　Taylor's　instances　several　prominent　physiologists　have　remarked　that　persons　have　endured　severe　burns　during　sleep　and　have　never　wakened。　There　is　an　account　of　a　man　who　lay　down　on　the　top　of　a　lime　kiln；　which　was　fired　during　his　sleep；　and　one　leg　was　burned　entirely　off　without　awaking　the　man；　a　fact　explained　by　the　very　slow　and　gradual　increase　of　temperature。

The　theories　advanced　by　the　advocates　of　spontaneous　human　combustion　are　very　ingenious　and　deserve　mention　here。　An　old　authority　has　said：　〃Our　blood　is　of　such　a　nature；　as　also　our　lymph　and　bile：　all　of　which；　when　dried　by　art；　flame　like　spirit　of　wine　at　the　approach　of　the　least　fire　and　burn　away　to　ashes。〃　Lord　Bacon　mentions　spontaneous　combustion；　and　Marcellus　Donatus　says　that　in　the　time　of　Godefroy　of　Bouillon　there　were　people　of　a　certain　locality　who　supposed　themselves　to　have　been　burning　of　an　invisible　fire　in　their　entrails；　and　he　adds　that　some　cut　off　a　hand　or　a　foot　when　the　burning　began；　that　it　should　go　no　further。　What　may　have　been　the　malady　with　which　these　people　suffered　must　be　a　matter　of　conjecture。

Overton；　in　a　paper　on　this　subject；　remarks　that　in　the　〃Memoirs　of　the　Royal　Society　of　Paris；〃　1751；　there　is　related　an　account　of　a　butcher　who；　opening　a　diseased　beef；　was　burned　by　a　flame　which　issued　from　the　maw　of　the　animal；　there　was　first　an　explosion　which　rose　to　a　height　of　five　feet　and　continued　to　blaze　several　minutes　with　a　highly　offensive　odor。　Morton　saw　a　flame　emanate　from　beneath　the　skin　of　a　hog　at　the　instant　of　making　an　incision　through　it。　Ruysch；　the　famous　Dutch　physician；　remarks　that　he　introduced　a　hollow　bougie　into　a　woman's　stomach　he　had　just　opened；　and　he　observed　a　vapor　issuing　from　the　mouth　of　the　tube；　and　this　lit　on　contact　with　the　atmosphere。　This　is　probably　an　exaggeration　of　the　properties　of　the　hydrogen　sulphid　found　in　the　stomach。　There　is　an　account　of　a　man　of　forty…three；　a　gross　feeder；　who　was　particularly　fond　of　fats　and　a　victim　of　psoriasis　palmaria；　who　on　going　to　bed　one　night；　after　extinguishing　the　light　in　the　room；　was　surprised　to　find　himself　enveloped　in　a　phosphorescent　halo；　this　continued　for　several　days　and　recurred　after　further　indiscretions　in　diet。　It　is　well　known　that　there　are　insects　and　other　creatures　of　the　lower　animal　kingdom　which　possess　the　peculiar　quality　of　phosphorescence。

There　are　numerous　cases　of　spontaneous　combustion　of　the　human　body　reported　by　the　older　writers。　Bartholinus　mentions　an　instance　after　the　person　had　drunk　too　much　wine。　Fouquet　mentions　a　person　ignited　by　lightning。　Schrader　speaks　of　a　person　from　whose　mouth　and　fauces　after　a　debauch　issued　fire。　Schurig　tells　of　flames　issuing　from　the　vulva；　and　Moscati　records　the　same　occurrence　in　parturition；　Sinibaldust；　Borellus；　and　Bierling　have　also　written　on　this　subject；　and　the　Ephemerides　contains　a　number　of　instances。

In　1763　Bianchini；　Prebendary　of　Verona；　published　an　account　of　the　death　of　Countess　Cornelia　Bandi　of　Cesena；　who　in　her　sixty…second　year　was　consumed　by　a　fire　kindled　in　her　own　body。　In　explanation　Bianchini　said　that　the　fire　was　caused　in　the　entrails　by　the　inflamed　effluvia　of　the　blood；　by　the　juices　and　fermentation　in　the　stomach；　and；　lastly；　by　fiery　evaporations　which　exhaled　from　the　spirits　of　wine；　brandy；　etc。　In　the　Gentleman's　Magazine；　1763；　there　is　recorded　an　account　of　three　noblemen　who；　in　emulation；　drank　great　quantities　of　strong　liquor；　and　two　of　them　died　scorched　and　suffocated　by　a　flame　forcing　itself　from　the　stomach。　There　is　an　account　of　a　poor　woman　in　Paris　in　the　last　century　who　drank　plentifully　of　spirits；　for　three　years　taking　virtually　nothing　else。　Her　body　became　so　combustible　that　one　night　while　lying　on　a　straw　couch　she　was　spontaneously　burned　to　ashes　and　smoke。　The　evident　cause　of　this　combustion　is　too　plain　to　be　commented　on。　In　the　Lancet；　1845；　there　are　two　cases　reported　in　which　shortly　before　death　luminous　breath　has　been　seen　to　issue　from　the　mouth。　

There　is　an　instance　reported　of　a　professor　of　mathematics　of　thirty…five　years　of　age　and　temperate；　who；　feeling　a　pain　in　his　left　leg；　discovered　a　pale　flame　about　the　size　of　a　ten…cent　piece　issuing　therefrom。　As　recent　as　March；　1850；　in　a　Court　of　Assizes　in　Darmstadt　during　the　trial　of　John　Stauff；　accused　of　the　murder　of　the　Countess　Goerlitz；　the　counsel　for　the　defense　advanced　the　theory　of　spontaneous　human　combustion；　and　such　eminent　doctors　as　von　Siebold；　Graff；　von　Liebig；　and　other　prominent　members　of　the　Hessian　medical　fraternity　were　called　to　comment　on　its　possibility；　principally　on　their　testimony　a　conviction　and　life…imprisonment　was　secured。　In　1870　there　was　a　woman　of　thirty…seven；　addicted　to　alcoholic　liquors；　who　was　found　in　her　room　with　her　viscera　and　part　of　her　limbs　consumed　by　fire；　but　the　hair　and　clothes　intact。　According　to　Walford；　in　the　Scientific　American　for　1870；　there　was　a　case　reported　by　Flowers　of　Louisiana　of　a　man　a　hard　drinker；　who　was　sitting　by　a　fire　surrounded　by　his　Christmas　guests；　when　suddenly　flames　of　a　bluish　tint　burst　from　his　mouth　and　nostrils　and　he　was　soon　a　corpse。　Flowers　states　that　the　body　remained　extremely　warm　for　a　much　longer　period　than　usual。

Statistics。From　an　examination　of　28　cases　of　spontaneous　combustion；　Jacobs　makes　the　following　summary：

（1）　It　has　always　occurred　in　the　human　living　body。

（2）　The　subjects　were　generally　old　persons。

（3）　It　was　noticed　more　frequently　in　women　than　in　men。

（4）　All　the　persons　were　alone　at　the　time　of　occurrence。

（5）　They　all　led　an　idle　life。

（6）　They　were　all　corpulent　or　intemperate。

（7）　Most　frequently　at　the　time　of　occurrence　there　was　a　light　and　some　ignitible　substance　in　the　room。

（8）　The　combustion　was　rapid　and　was　finished　in　from　one　to　seven　hours。

（9）　The　room　where　the　combustion　took　place　was　generally　filled　with　a　thick　vapor　and　the　walls　covered　with　a　thick；　carbonaceous　substance。

（10）　The　trunk　was　usually　the　part　most　frequently　destroyed；　some　part　of　the　head　and　extremities　remained。

（11）　With　but　two　exceptions；　the　combustion　occurred　in　winter　and　in　the　northern　regions。

Magnetic；　Phosphorescent；　and　Electric　Anomalies。There　have　been　certain　persons　who　have　appeared　before　the　public　under　such　names　as　the　〃human　magnet；〃　the　〃electric　lady；〃　etc。　There　is　no　doubt　that　some　persons　are　supercharged　with　magnetism　and　electricity。　For　instance；　it　is　quite　possible　for　many　persons　by　drawing　a　rubber　comb　through　the　hair　to　produce　a　crackling　noise；　and　even　produce　sparks　in　the　dark。　Some　exhibitionists　have　been　genuine　curiosities　of　this　sort；　while　others　by　skilfully　arranged　electric　apparatus　are　enabled　to　perform　their　feats。　A　curious　case　was　reported　in　this　country　many　years　ago；　which　apparently　emanates　from　an　authoritative　source。　On　the　25th　of　January；　1837；　a　certain　lady　became　suddenly　and　unconsciously　charged　with　electricity。　Her　newly　acquired　power　was　first　exhibited　when　passing　her　hand　over　the　face　of　her　brother；　to　the　astonishment　of　both；　vivid　electric　sparks　passed　from　the　ends　of　each　finger。　This　power　continued　with　augmented　force　from　the　25th　of　January　to　the　last　of　February；　but　finally　became　extinct　about　the　middle　of　May　of　the　same　year。

Schneider　mentions　a　strong；　healthy；　dark…haired　Capuchin　monk；　the　removal　of　whose　head…dress　always　induced　a　number　of　shining；　crackling　sparks　from　his　hair　or　scalp。　Bartholinus　observed　a　similar　peculiarity　in　Gonzaga；　Duke　of　Mantua。　In　another　case　luminous　sparks　were　given　out　whenever　the　patient　passed　urine。　Marsh　relates　two　cases　of　phthisis　in　which　the　heads　of　the　patients　were　surrounded　by　phosphorescent　lights。　Kaster　mentions　an　instance　in　which　light　was　seen　in　the　perspiration　and　on　the　body　linen　after　violent　exertion。　After　exertion　Jurine；　Guyton；　and　Driessen　observed　luminous　urine　passed　by　healthy　persons；　and　Nasse　mentions　the　same　phenomenon　in　a　phthisical　patient。　Percy　and　Stokes　have　observed　phosphorescence　in　a　carcinomatous　ulcer。

There　is　a　description　of　a　Zulu　boy　exhibited　in　Edinburgh　in　1882　whose　body　was　so　charged　with　electricity　that　he　could　impart