The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Verona, on a surprizing Accident, which befel a Woman at Celena, a City of Romagna.

THIS Woman was 62 Years of Age, and had been used to wash and rub herself every Day with Spirit of Camphire, to prevent Colds, and Coughs. On the 14th of March 1731, in the Evening, she went up to her Room without any unusual Symptom, only that she seemed somewhat melancholy. In the Morning she was found near her Bed burnt to Ashes, all but her Shin-bones, and Feet, and Three Fingers of one Hand: The Ashes were clammy, and stunk intolerably. The Walls of the Room, the Bed, and other Furniture, were covered with a fine but moist Dust, which had penetrated into the Chamber above it. The Ceiling was almost covered with a Sort of Moisture of a dark yellow Colour, which gave a very offensive Smell. Those Parts of the Body that remain'd, were of a blackish Hue; nothing else in the Room was consum'd, only the Tallow of Two Candles quite melted, but the Wick not burnt: The blackish Hue of
of the Remains of the Body, the Consumption of the other Parts, and their Reduction to Ashes, were evident Proofs of a Fire: Yet common Fire can hardly reduce so large a Body to Ashes; for it has often appear'd, that in great Conflagrations, the Bodies have been dried, scorch'd, and somewhat burnt in the external Parts, but not entirely consum'd. 'Tis likewise certain, that common Fire would have taken hold of the Beds, the Chamber, and even the whole House: Besides, there was neither Fire nor Light in the Chamber, and the Serenity of the Air left no Room to suspect, that there was any Lightning that could produce such an Accident; because there was not the least Hole found in the Sides of the Chamber. 'Tis therefore not unreasonable to conclude, that this poor Woman was consum'd by a Fire that kindled within her own Body, proceeding from the oily Particles of the mentioned Spirits, excited by chafing, and the Heat of her Constitution. These are the Thoughts of Signior Maffei, and Father Bellavaga, which are corroborated by the Examples of Powder Magazines, for the Exhalations from the Powder, being put into a violent Motion by some external Cause, have sometimes blown up the Magazine without the Help of any apparent Fire. A human Body hath likewise in it some oleous and saline Particles, capable of producing a Fire: We even find, that the Sweat of some People, smells like Brimstone. Phosphoruses are made of Urine, which partly kindle of themselves: Therefore, if to these Particles of the Body, Brandy and Camphire be added, the Two Ingredients which compose the Spirit of Camphire, their Particles especially, by the Means of chafing, cannot but cause a violent Motion in the mention'd Particles of the Blood, and other Juices, which will produce a vehement Attrition, or rubbing against each other: Such Attrition is capable of producing Fire even in cold Bodies, as appears by the striking of a Piece of Steel upon a Flint, and the rubbing of Two Sticks against each other: The Sun draws every Day from Bodies, not the most combustible, Vapours, which produce Fire, when put up in a narrow Compass. If we cause a Quantity of Camphire to evaporate in a close Chamber till it is fill'd with the Vapour, and then enter it with a lighted Torch, the Vapour takes Fire at once, and causes a Flash like that of Lightning: Besides all this, the Fermentation of the Juices in the Woman's Body, may have contributed something to the Effect; for a Flame is often produced by the Mixture and Fermentation of certain Liquors. The Reason why the Shin-bones and the Feet were not burnt, may be this, that She did not chafe those Parts with the mention'd Spirits, or at least not so much as the other Parts of the Body; and possibly, she never us'd the Three Fingers that remain'd unconsum'd, in chafing: The Oiliness of the Ashes, 'tis likely, proceeded from the Fat of the Body: As the Fire was kindled at once in the Veins, and most minute Vessels of the Body, we may conclude, that it consum'd it in a Moment; which sudden Effect could not have been produced by other Fires, that were not so enclosed in the Body. Some Effect of this Fire was found in the upper Rooms, because such a sudden Heat flies chiefly upward; which was likewise the Cause that the Floor of her Chamber escap'd being burnt; and that none of the Furniture was touch'd: For a Piece of Paper may be drawn suddenly through the greatest Flame without being set on Fire.