Summary
The inflammability of intestinal gases was demonstrated by Vulparious in the seventeenth century. The main gases incriminated are methane and hydrogen and their production is increased by a leguminous diet or by excessive fermentation in cases of pyloric stenosis with gross gastric stasis.
The passive or active regurgitation of these gases can, if it coincides with exposure to a near-by flame or static spark, result in an internal explosion.
The curious case of the Countess of Cesena in the eighteenth century is described. The writer, Bianchini, the Prebendary of Verona, attributed her death to a spontaneous internal combusion following a heavy intake of spirits and quoted many recorded phenomena to support his contention.
Résumé
Au XVIIe siècle, Vulparious a démontré l’inflammabilité des gaz intestinaux. Les principaux gaz mis en cause sont le méthane et l’hydrogèns, et leur production augmente à la suite d’une diète à base de légumes, ou à cause d’une fermentation excessive dans les cas de sténose du pylore avec stase gastrique énorme.
A proximité d’une flamme ou d’une étincelle statique, la régurgitation passive ou active de ces gaz peut déclencher une explosion interne.
On raconte l’étrange histoire de la comtesse de Cesena au XVIIIe siècle. L’écrivain Bianchini, prébendé de Vérone, attribue la cause de la mort de la comtesse à une combustion interne spontanée, aprés qu’elle eut absorbé une grande quantité d’alcool. Il rapporte plusieurs phénomenès dûment constatés à l’appui de son assertion.
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References
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Whitby, J.D. Internal combustion. Can. Anaes. Soc. J. 10, 83–85 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03020166
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03020166