Spontaneous Human Combustion: An Overview
When you think about the worst ways to die, it is likely spontaneous human combustion may work its way into your mind. There have been multiple reports in which people seemed to just burst into flame, with no accelerant and clear reason. Why does this seem to happen? Or, is this even possible?
The idea of spontaneous human combustion isn’t necessarily anything new. In fact, authors like Herman Melville and Dickens utilized this kind of death in their literary work. In fact, after criticism about the death of one of his characters in Bleak House, he defended the use of death by spontaneous human combustion. He said, after citing several cases, “I shall not abandon the facts until there shall have been a considerable Spontaneous Combustion of the testimony on which human occurrences are usually received.”
In fact, Thomas Batholin, a Danish anatomist, is often credited with recording the first account of spontaneous human combustion in 1663. In this account, he described how a woman in Paris caught on fire and went into ashes and smoke while sleeping, despite the fact the straw mattress she slept upon was untouched by fire. Since then, there have been a few hundred or so alleged cases of death by spontaneous human combustion.
Many believe that spontaneous human combustion is, without a doubt, a real occurrence. Spontaneous combustion occurs when an object bursts into flames due to a chemical reaction, without any ignition from an external heat source. For this to occur there are three steps:
The body/object must be heated to an ignition temperature (the point at which, even without exposure to flame, it will catch fire).
The heat building up cannot escape
It has to be exposed to a steady flow of oxygen, but not rapid enough to actually cool down the body/object
In many, especially recent cases, it is often noted that the torso and head are burned beyond recognition, but several extremities (like hands or parts of the leg) are unburned. Those on the scene (from coroners to detectives) have noted a weird smell in the homes of the alleged spontaneous human combustion victims, as well as a greasy residue left on nearby surfaces.
Some believe it was more likely to happen to alcoholics, thanks to excessive alcohol within the body. Others believe spontaneous human combustion occurs thanks to a dangerous build-up of methane in the body. And some even claim it is because of extreme static electricity that has built up inside of the body.
Despite all of this information and several interesting theories, at this time no proposed scientific explanations could explain a body spontaneously bursting into flame. Even the wick effect, which purports that the clothing worn by a spontaneous human combustion victim can soak up melted fat, thus acting like the wick in a candle and creating the conditions needed for a body to smolder for an extended period of time, have been proven impossible.
So, for now, it is believed that those who were believed to be victims of spontaneous human combustion, were not. There is likely, with closer examination, an ignition or accelerant source.
Thanks to Natalie F for the blogstonishing suggestion!
The blog image is from R Boed, entitled Bubbles by the Fire At Mont Blanc Hotel Village, La Salle, Courmayeur, Italy. It is licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)