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Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is a term used to describe combustion in a human body without any external source of ignition. Throughout history, there have been accounts of people who have burned to death for no apparent reason, and, strangely enough, their surroundings were not affected by the fire.
Superstition, pseudoscience, or the real deal? Click through and draw your own conclusions.
Spontaneous human combustion is not a recent phenomenon. It was first reported in 1470, when an Italian knight named Polonus Vorstius allegedly burst up in flames.
But the case was not officially recorded until Danish physician Thomas Bartholin included it in his book of rare conditions, 'Historiarum Anatomicarum Rariorum,' almost two centuries later.
In 1725, a man was charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole Millet, but was acquitted after a surgeon's testimony. The court decided it was a case of SHC, and an "act of God."
All cases had one common denominator: alcohol consumption. The scientific community became intrigued and decided to investigate further.
A theory was put forward in the journal 'The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London' that gases and intestinal waste mixed with alcohol made these people spontaneously ignite.
But philosopher and literature critic George Lewes wasn't a fan. He wrote in a newspaper that 'Bleak House' gave "credence to a scientific impossibility."
The case hit the media, and the lack of evidence made it sound quite mysterious.
Years later, it came to light that the FBI found that Mary Reeser didn't die of SHC.
But skeptic and investigator of the paranormal Joe Nickell describes in 'Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal' that Angel was actually burned by hot water.
Coroner Dr. Ciaran McLoughlin ultimately attributed Michael Faherty's death to SHC.
Indeed, for a human body to be cremated, it takes a temperature somewhere between 1400 and 1800°F (approximately 760 to 982°C).
And this is what actually happens in SHC cases, where bodies are reduced to ashes, except for hands and feet, which are found intact most of the time.
In SHC cases, the person's surroundings also often remain intact. So, how can these combustion cases be explained?
A theory put forward called the "wick effect" may answer this question.
This explains how a body can burn for hours and yet have the hands and feet intact, as they're virtually fat free.
According to the wick theory, a heat source such as cigarette ash is enough to pierce the skin and initiate the burning process.
Pig tissue, being similar to a human's in fat content, was used in experiments by Dr. John de Haan of the California Criminalistic Institute to prove the wick theory.
Here's another theory: researcher Brian J. Ford suggests that higher acetone levels are to blame, which can happen when the body is in a state of ketosis.
Another theory points to ball lightning as a cause for humans to ignite. This unexplained phenomenon consists of floating spheres of lightning. Individuals tend to report seeing these when thunderstorms are nearby.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare allergic reaction that can cause burns and blisters. As a result, it has also been listed as a potential explanation for SHC (although it doesn't burn people completely).
See also: Ghost stories: celebrities reveal their paranormal experiences.
The burning truth about spontaneous human combustion
Can people really just burst into flames? Find out here
LIFESTYLE Science
Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is a term used to describe combustion in a human body without any external source of ignition. Throughout history, there have been accounts of people who have burned to death for no apparent reason, and, strangely enough, their surroundings were not affected by the fire.
Superstition, pseudoscience, or the real deal? Click through and draw your own conclusions.