Spontaneous Human Combustion - Research Paper Example

Spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC) Introduction Spontaneous human combustion is a topic which has fascinated many people – those within and those outside the medical community. For some people who have studied this phenomenon for its possibilities, they have managed to come up with explanations and justifications for its existence as a real-life phenomenon. However, the majority of people choose to regard the subject with disbelief and dismiss it as an impossible phenomenon – even a scam. For many years, people discuss the strange occurrence which has first given life to SHC. They account for how a human body was found burned to ashes inside a room without any apparent cause; and how the rest of the objects in the room remained relatively unaffected. Since then, this phenomenon has been introduced as a possibility. Stories on SHC have been enriched and regenerated due to cases of police officers arriving at scenes of fires where they were able to find half burned bodies which often left only the leg or foot unburned. These cases puzzled them, hence the perpetuation of the SHC phenomenon. Discussion Spontaneous human combustion is defined as the “alleged process of a human body catching fire as a result of heat generated by internal chemical or nuclear action” (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). There have so far been no witnesses for this phenomenon but many stories have been generated about it. The earliest explanations for SHC have been based on an apparent visitation by God and this explanation may have a strong connection with Moses and the burning bush. However, more scientific explanations for SHC have now been presented for our consideration (BBC News “H2G2”). Author Charles Dickens has used SHC in one of his novels as a cause of death and this has further generated interest on its possibility. Dickens further claimed that he has known cases of SHC and he points out two main cases which have happened over a hundred years ago (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). But non-believers claim that Dickens probably got his idea from the stories of Dupont in his book De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis. This book points out how a drunken German spontaneously ignited because of his intake of copious amounts of brandy. Immediately, faults in this theory were pointed out when non-believers point out that if drinking plenty of liquor would cause SHC, then there would have been many more reported incidents of the phenomenon. The proposal on alcoholic consumption has actually been debunked by scientists when they explained that many of the apparent SHC victims were not alcoholics to begin with and said victims would have died from liver cirrhosis long before they imbibed enough alcohol to spontaneously combust (BBC News “H2G2”). Moreover, long before a person dies from SHC due to intake of too much alcohol, he would have died first of alcohol poisoning (Granato, p. 3). These theorists further pointed out that “the concentration of alcohol in a body would never be high enough for ignition to occur. Dilute alcohol will never burn nor spontaneously explode in an anaerobic condition – there is no chance of the person combusting unless he has been liberally doused with alcohol and is standing too close to the hearth” (BBC News “H2G2). Hence, this theory cannot be considered the best explanation for SHC. There are other possible explanations for SHC. One explanation is by Larry Arnold. Larry Arnold explains that human cells are sometimes hit by an unusual particle known as pyrotron (Carroll, “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). This pyrotron causes a nuclear chain reaction within the person’s body which later causes the combustion. This theory has been discredited largely because of the fact that it does not consider the normal cellular life processes in the body, including spontaneous nuclear fusion (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). Another far-fetched theory or explanation for SHC is the MASER (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) induction, geomagnetism, and the kundalini (type of yoga body heating) (Carroll, “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). Stress has also been perpetuated as a possible explanation for SHC (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). The presence of bacteria has also been presented as a possible explanation for SHC. This theory has somehow been based on the fact that haystacks sometimes spontaneously combust with no apparent igniting element. Theorists point out that the conditions for growth of bacteria are ideal under these circumstances and these bacteria can reproduce to incredible rates as to increase body heat and cause ignition (BBC News “H2G2). This is being applied to the human body apparently by some SHC supporters. However, holes in this theory have again been seen when scientists point out that the conditions seen in haystacks (increased growth of bacteria) have to be profuse and would have caused massive infection to the body even before such conditions cause SHC (BBC News “H2G2”). Another theory on SHC involves electrical charges. A professor of the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute theorized that people can sometimes build up static charges which can accidentally ignite under certain conditions (BBC News “H2G2”). Other people then built up on this theory and connected this with SHC. They even went further in saying that “the electrical fields within the human body might be capable of short-circuiting, causing a chain reaction that produced internal heat (BBC News “H2G2”). Other explanations for the phenomenon suggest the presence of a chemical reaction in a person’s clothing resulting to SHC (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). Investigators from The National Geographic point out how a woman’s clothes suddenly ignited. However, on further investigation, it was more likely that the woman put a shell in her pocket which was covered in sodium from fireworks residue and when she stuck a wet handkerchief in her pocket, the sodium reacted with the water, releasing hydrogen and causing the ignition (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). The most reasonable theory for SHC is the ‘wick effect.’ This theory explains how human fat ignites at a very low flame or heat and in order to generate more fire on human fat, an external source is needed (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). When the body is already ignited, the human fat now serves as the wick which will burn out enough to destroy bones and human flesh. In this case, the body is the candle and the clothing is the wick (Jackson “Articles”). In order to prove this ‘wick effect,’ a human pig was wrapped in a blanket and a small amount of gasoline was placed on it; the pig was later ignited. After 5 hours of burning, even the bones of the pig were destroyed (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). Dr. De Haan, who performed the experiment, pointed out how human flesh is similar to human pig flesh and his experiment was allegedly able to exemplify what happens to the human body during SHC. The fact that some of the victims have been overweight has also further fueled this theory as a plausible theory for SHC (Crystal Links “SHC”). Investigators recreating De Haan’s experiment were not successful in their attempt because they left the door open, which left in a draft and fanned the flames to light everything in the room, not just the pig (Carroll “From Abracadabra to Zombies”). If the room would have been closed, the pig would have smoldered for hours before completely burning out. The conditions which would have been ideal for the SHC were not recreated by the investigators in order to allow an accurate experiment to be carried out. The wick theory is the best explanation for SHC. The process of burning, of how fires are created, and how they continue to burn has to be understood first before a better understanding of SHC can be established. First, there is a need for an oxidizing agent – this agent is usually oxygen (Jackson “Articles”). This will help feed the fire and let the fire continue to burn. Second, there is also a need for fuel. Fuel usually reacts with the oxidizing agent during combustion (Jackson “Articles”) and helps further the ignition of the fire. Lastly, there is a need for a heat source. This may be a spark, flame, or a hot item which first ignites the fuel and the oxidizing agent. Absent any of these elements, fire would not start or even if a fire is started or ignited, the elimination of the fuel or the oxidizing agent would extinguish the fire (BBC “News H2G2”). The elements for the ignition of a fire and the continuation of the fire are present in the wick effect theory of SHC. First the oxidizing agent in these fires may be the oxygen in the room. Second, the fuel may be the person’s fat assisted by the person’s clothes. And lastly, the ignition may possibly be from the embers of a lighted cigarette held in the person’s hand. In some instances, the victim of SHC may have fallen asleep while smoking a cigarette. They may also have been intoxicated and have not been awoken by the singeing of the cigarette butt on their fingers. This is a very slow and smoldering burn, hence, would only affect the person himself and not the other parts of the room. By looking at how a candle burns, we can further understand how this theory can be the most probably theory for SHC. The heat liquefies the candle wax and the fire continues to burn until the liquefied candle wax would be consumed. The body has fat deposits and fat stores which, with slow heat, can liquefy and serve as the fire’s fuel. This slow fire can further be spread through the person’s body by the person’s clothes. In rooms which are poorly ventilated, the oxygen would have been easily depleted and just smolder and burn where it finds fuel – that is, in the victim’s clothes and fat dripping on to the chair and the carpet (BBC News “H2G2”). The wick effect also helps explain why the body parts which are clothed are only the ones which are reduced to ashes. The limbs which are unclothed are not burned (BBC News “H2G2”). Some supporters of this wick effect also point out that liquefied body fats will burn at 250 degrees Celsius but a cloth placed into the equation burns at a lower temperature (BBC News “H2G2”). Ergo, the easy combustibility of the person’s clothing can help fuel the fire and increase the person’s combustibility (BBC News “H2G2”). The fire is also not spread to the other parts of the room because of the fact that there may not be any objects near enough to add fuel to the fire. Once the liquefied fat in the person is consumed by the fire, then there is no more fuel for the fire. The fire is then extinguished. Conclusion Spontaneous human combustion is one of the so-called mysteries of life. This theory has never been proven to exist, nor has it ever been fully and satisfactorily explained. Theories explaining how some people have been found to have died from a fire, without any apparent cause and with no other parts of the room burned, have fueled the speculation for SHC. Theories like alcohol consumption have been debunked because a person would have to die first from alcohol poisoning before his body can carry enough alcohol to cause a spontaneous combustion. The pyrotron theory cites a particle ‘pyrotron’ as a cell which can cause a person to spontaneously spark and ignite. Bacteria have also been speculated as a cause. However, this theory has been discredited when scientists explained that a person would first be massively infected first before he can generate enough heat from bacteria to spontaneously combust. Static electricity has also been set forth as an explanation for SHC. Again, this theory has not been given much credit by scientists. The most likely explanation for SHC, granting that it does exist, is the wick effect. The wick effect contains all the possible elements which can ignite and fuel the fire in SHC. Firstly, it contains an oxidizing agent in the form of the oxygen in the room; second, it contains the fuel in the form of the body fat and the person’s clothes; and third it contains the spark or ignition in the form of a cigarette which a person might be holding and have fallen asleep on. The fire will continue to smolder as it feeds on the liquefied body fat and will only be extinguished when the fat is consumed totally. The fire will not affect the room because in poorly ventilated rooms, no draft can shift the direction of the fire and affect the rest of the room. Considering all these elements present in a given situation, SHC can be explained and can be believed as true. Works Cited Carroll, R. “Spontaneous human combustion (SHC)”. From Abracadabra to Zombies. 2009. The Skeptic’s Dictionary. 01 May 2010 from http://www.skepdic.com/shc.html Granato, S. “Spontaneous Human Combustion: Debunking Scientific Theories Covering the Phenomenon”. pp. 1-4. 24 April 2007. Associated Content. 01 May 2010 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/212644/spontaneous_human_combustion_debunking_pg3.html?cat=17 Jackson, J. “Spontaneous Human Combustion”. Articles. 30 October 2008. UK Skeptics. 01 May 2010 from http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/spontaneous-human-combustion/ “Spontaneous Human Combustion”. H2G2. 27 September 2004. BBC News. 01 May 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2986095 “Spontaneous Human Combustion”. SHC. (n.d). Crystal Links. 01 May 2010 from http://www.crystalinks.com/shc.html Read More