Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!rochester!rocksanne!sunybcs!kitty!larry From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: Re: Spontaneous Combustion and people! Message-ID: <729@kitty.UUCP> Date: Sun, 19-Jan-86 23:10:44 EST Article-I.D.: kitty.729 Posted: Sun Jan 19 23:10:44 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jan-86 21:43:20 EST References: <434@well.UUCP> <18400017@convexs> <4733@hlexa.UUCP> Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY Lines: 53 > > > I have been hearing recently about a suppossed phenomenom where > > > certain people have suppossedly spontaneously combusted. Usually their > > > charred remains are found. I would appreciate any information that people > > > might have regarding this suppossed phenomenom. > > I have to believe this discussion was originally motivated by the > current presentation on PBS of Dickens' "Bleak House." Dickens has > one of the characters die by spontaneous combustion. I couldn't figure > out what was supposed to have happened to him, until the host, > Alister Cook, introducing the next episode, explained that the author > had made use of this folk belief. The belief that this alleged phenomenon exists has been around for a number of years. There have indeed been some unexplained deaths within the past thirty years in the U.S. whereby the decedent was fully or partially consumed by fire with little damage to the surrounding area. Due to the large water content and otherwise poor self-sustaining combustion characteristics of the human body, this presents an incongruity since a substantial amount of external energy (hundreds of thousands of BTU's) is required to cremate a body. I don't feel it appropriate to go into gory detail at this point, but anyone reading this who has ever been involved with forensic science, a law enforcement agency, or a fire department will understand what I mean. The cases I am referring to are real, were investigated by law enforcement agencies and were reported in the "real" press - NOT half-baked phony stories such as would appear in the "National Enquirer". Interestingly enough, less than a week ago this subject was covered on a Canadian television program "The Fifth Estate" which appeared on Tuesday, 14 January. By sheer coincidence, I happened to see it on Toronto station CBLT. The television show interviewed law enforcement people, fire department people and other witnesses all of whom confirmed the unexplained phenomenon. The show also interviewed an electrical engineer from Harrisburg, PA who has spent a considerable amount of his time researching the subject in preparation for a book (I can't recall his name at the moment). No one has offered any plausible explanation for the incidents which have occurred. I personally do not believe that human body can undergo "spontaneous combustion" - even with an external ignition source as a trigger - there is simply too much energy required. Without having access to any intimate details of the cases in recent years, the only wild speculation I can offer is that all incidents involved crime and/or suicide where an unidentified combustion accelerant was used. I had taped the particular TV program, but alas, my wife accidently erased it. I would suggest that anyone interested in further information give CBLT television a call in an effort to contact the producers of "The Fifth Estate". Incidently, there is a physician on the Net (whose name escapes me at the moment) who is a medical examiner. I would be curious to see his comments. ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==