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Spontaneous human combustion has occurred before. The first time it was reported was in 1470, when an Italian knight named Polonus Vorstius was said to have spontaneously combusted, according to records.
However, it was not officially documented until Danish doctor Thomas Bartholin included it in his book Historiarum Anatomicarum Rariorum, almost 200 years later.
In 1725, an individual was accused of murdering his spouse, Nicole Millet. Nevertheless, he was acquitted after a surgeon's statement. The court ruled that the incident occurred due to spontaneous human combustion (SHC), considering it a divine event.
In 1731, an incident occurred involving an Italian countess who was identified as a victim of SHC. Additional incidents followed, like that of an Englishman in 1744.
Alcohol consumption was the shared factor in all cases, prompting the scientific community to delve deeper into it.
A hypothesis was proposed in the journal The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, suggesting that a combination of gases, intestinal waste, and alcohol led to the phenomenon of spontaneous ignition in these individuals.
Charles Dickens' novel 'Bleak House' featured a case of spontaneous human combustion in its story, reinforcing the 19th-century public's belief in this phenomenon.
George Lewes, a philosopher and literature critic, expressed his dissatisfaction with 'Bleak House' in a newspaper, stating that it endorsed a scientifically impossible notion.
In 1951, Mary Reeser, a 67-year-old widow, reportedly died from SHC in her St. Petersburg, Florida, apartment.
The case garnered media attention due to the absence of evidence, creating an air of mystery.
The FBI discovered that Mary Reeser's death was not caused by SHC, but only years later.
In 1974, Jack Angel, a traveling salesman, said he spontaneously combusted.
He stated that he discovered burns on his hand, chest, legs, and various other parts upon awakening.
According to Joe Nickell, a skeptic and paranormal investigator, in his book 'Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal,' Angel's injury was caused by scalding water.
In 2010, a 76-year-old man named Michael Faherty tragically died in a fire at his residence in Galway, Ireland. This incident resembled previous alleged cases of spontaneous human combustion.
Dr. Ciaran McLoughlin determined that Michael Faherty’s death was caused by SHC.
To cremate a human body, a temperature of around 1400 to 1800°F (760 to 982°C) is necessary.
In instances of SHC, bodies are typically transformed into ash, with the exception of the hands and feet, which are often discovered undamaged.
How can combustion cases in SHC be explained when the person's surroundings are frequently unaffected?
A theory known as the "wick effect" could solve this inquiry.
The theory proposes that a body can self-consume its fat to the point of complete incineration.
This would explain the phenomenon of bodies burning for extended periods while maintaining intact hands and feet, which contain minimal fat. The wick theory suggests that even a small heat source, like cigarette ash, can penetrate the skin and initiate the combustion.
Dr. John de Haan from the California Criminalistic Institute conducted experiments using pig tissue, as it closely resembles human tissue in terms of fat content. The aim was to validate the wick theory.
Researcher Brian J. Ford proposes an alternate theory, attributing higher acetone levels, occurring during ketosis, as a potential cause for SHC.
The body uses fat (ketones) as fuel when lacking glucose, resulting in the production of highly flammable acetone.
Another hypothesis suggests that ball lightning could potentially be responsible for humans catching fire. Ball lightning is a puzzling occurrence that involves the existence of floating lightning spheres. People typically claim to have witnessed these phenomena in close proximity to thunderstorms.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is an uncommon allergic response that can result in the formation of burns and blisters. Consequently, it has been suggested as a possible explanation for SHC, even though it does not cause complete combustion in individuals.
See also: Ghost stories—celebrities reveal their paranormal experiences
Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) refers to combustion occurring in a human body without an external ignition source. Historical records document cases of individuals inexplicably burning to death, with no discernible impact on their surroundings. But is this phenomenon a product of superstition, pseudoscience, or undeniable reality?
Click on and explore further to form your own opinion.
The burning truth about spontaneous human combustion
Can people really just burst into flames?
LIFESTYLE Science
Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) refers to combustion occurring in a human body without an external ignition source. Historical records document cases of individuals inexplicably burning to death, with no discernible impact on their surroundings. But is this phenomenon a product of superstition, pseudoscience, or undeniable reality?
Click on and explore further to form your own opinion.