On spontaneous combustion / by Alexander Ogston, M.D.

  • Ogston, Alexander, Sir, 1844-1929.
Date:
[1870], [©1870]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On spontaneous combustion / by Alexander Ogston, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    apartment, and tliis noise, in -whieli the cries of the priest were audible, collected the inhabitants of the house, who, on their entrance, found Bertholi stretched on the floor, surrounded by a light flame which disappeared as they approached, and finally vanished. He was immediately carried to bed, and received every assistance that could be rendered him. Ou the following morning I was called, says Battaglia, and, having carefully examined the patient, I found that the skin of the right arm was almost entirely detached from the flesh and hanging, as was the skin of the forearm. It is hard to say whether this means simple vesication or more. The account continues— Ou the space between the shoulders and the thighs the integu- ments were as severely injured as those of the right arm ; there was, therefore, nothing for it but to proceed, conformably to the ordinary practice, to remove those shreds; and, perceiving a commencement of mortification in that part of the right hand which had been most injured, I hastened to scarify it, but, in spite of this precaution, I found it next day, as I had feared, in a state of total mortification. On my third visit all the other injured parts were equally sphace- lated. The patient complained of burning thirst, and was agitated by horrible convulsions. He passed putrid bilious matters at stool, and was, besides, wearied by continual vomiting, along with much fever and delirium. Finally, on the fourth day, after two hours of comatose stupor, he expired, without showing, in all the course of this cruel illness, any sign or indication of symptomatic pain, or any other aifection of that sort. At the last visit I paid him, and during which he was plunged in the lethargic sleep I have mentioned, I was astonished to observe that putrefaction had already made such pro- gress that the patient's body exhaled an unbearable stench. I saw the worms which came from it crawl even out of the bed, and the nails detached themselves spontaneously from the left hand. Having carefully questioned the patient as to what had happened, he told me, assuring me of the truth of the facts, that he felt as it were a stroke of a club dealt him on his right arm, and that at the same time he saw a flash of fire seize on his siiirt, which was instantly reduced to ashes without the wristbands being touched at all. The handkerchief which, on arriving, had been put on his shoulders between the shirt and the skin, was entirely uninjured and bore no traces of fire. The trousers were equally intact, but the cap was entirely consumed, without a single hair of the head being burnt. The night was calm, the atmosphere surrounding pure, no empyreu- matic or bituminous smell was perceived iu his room, neither suioke nor tiie smallest vestige of fire was observed; only the lamp, which had been full of oil, was dry, and the wick in a state of incineration. In this case the man was not seen by the surgeon till the next morning, so the truth of the facts unobserved by him dp])ends on the veracity of the patient himself, and of the witnesses who saw