'First Irish case' of death by spontaneous combustion
37 replies, posted
Source: [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15032614[/url]
[quote]
It is believed to be the first case of its kind in Ireland.
West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years of investigating deaths that he had recorded such a verdict.
Michael Faherty, 76, died at his home at Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway on 22 December 2010.
Deaths attributed by some to "spontaneous combustion" occur when a living human body is burned without an apparent external source of ignition.
Typically police or fire investigators find burned corpses but no burned furniture.
An inquest in Galway on Thursday heard how investigators had been baffled as to the cause of Mr Faherty's death.
Forensic experts found that a fire in the fireplace of the sitting room where the badly burnt body was found, had not been the cause of the blaze that killed Mr Faherty.
The court was told that no trace of an accelerant had been found and there had been nothing to suggest foul play.
The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.
The fire had been confined to the sitting room. The only damage was to the body, which was totally burnt, the ceiling above him and the floor underneath him.
Dr McLoughlin said he had consulted medical textbooks and carried out other research in an attempt to find an explanation.
He said Professor Bernard Knight, in his book on forensic pathology, had written about spontaneous combustion and noted that such reported cases were almost always near an open fireplace or chimney.
"This fire was thoroughly investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation," he said.
Retired professor of pathology Mike Green said he had examined one suspected case in his career.
He said he would not use the term spontaneous combustion, as there had to be some source of ignition, possibly a lit match or cigarette.
"There is a source of ignition somewhere, but because the body is so badly destroyed the source can't be found," he said.
He said the circumstances in the Galway case were very similar to other possible cases.
"This is the picture which is described time and time again," he said.
"Even the most experienced rescue worker or forensic scientist takes a sharp intake of breath (when they come across the scene)."
Mr Green said he doubted explanations centred on divine intervention.
"I think if the heavens were striking in cases of spontaneous combustion then there would be a lot more cases. I go for the practical, the mundane explanation," he said.[/quote]
Personally, I think spontaneous combustion is a bullshit cause of death.
He was soaked in whiskey and lit a match.
10 bucks it was Guinness
[QUOTE=faze;32442260]Personally, I think spontaneous combustion is a bullshit cause of death.[/QUOTE]
Why? your body is basically a giant chemistry set.
While it isn't very likely whatsoever to happen, it isn't [I]impossible[/I]
I think leaving scientists baffled as to how it happened is the best way to die.
False alarm, he's just ginger
He must've been pretty hot.
How do.
I'm so hot I'm on FWOOSH
Didn't see this one in the newspaper, wonder why, probably because spontaneous combustion is bullshit
[QUOTE=geoface;32446949]Didn't see this one in the newspaper, wonder why, probably because spontaneous combustion is bullshit[/QUOTE]
you shouldnt immediately discredit strange articles about the human body, you'd be surprised of the stuff our bodies can do
[QUOTE=aznz888;32447046]you shouldnt immediately discredit strange articles about the human body, you'd be surprised of the stuff our bodies can do[/QUOTE]
I'm sorry for being a logical person, please continue being a cunt.
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Flaming" - postal))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=aznz888;32447046]you shouldnt immediately discredit strange articles about the human body, you'd be surprised of the stuff our bodies can do[/QUOTE]
So far the most disgusting thing I've heard the human body can do is creating cancerous little organic bags containing random organs and human parts such as teeth, parts of brains and even deformed little fetus clones of you.
[editline]24th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=geoface;32447081]I'm sorry for being a logical person, please continue being a cunt.[/QUOTE]
Eating a lot of spicy food + alcohol + bad digestive system = lots of methane stuck in bowels
From that point a lot of things can happen.
[QUOTE=geoface;32447081]I'm sorry for being a logical person, please continue being a cunt.[/QUOTE]
"I don't understand it so it can't exist."
That's what you consider a logical person?
I'd say that's closer to a cunt.
[QUOTE=Parker;32442479]False alarm, he's just ginger[/QUOTE]
Light must have got in through a space in the blinds
[QUOTE=geoface;32447081]I'm sorry for being a logical person, please continue being a cunt.[/QUOTE]
pot calling the kettle black, mister man
Lots of ingested alcohol? Methane in the bowels? Still sounds unlikely to me though. Surely if there was a medical condition or such that would cause sufficient flammable material to accumulate in the body someone would've noticed and documented it, no?
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;32442282]10 bucks it was Guinness[/QUOTE]
[video=youtube;JueCyJJ6WDA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JueCyJJ6WDA[/video]?
[QUOTE=HawkeyeTy;32447146]"I don't understand it so it can't exist."
That's what you consider a logical person?
I'd say that's closer to a cunt.[/QUOTE]
And yet people in this forum IMMEDIATELY dismiss the notion of traveling to other planets through either FTL travel or other means, just because we don't understand the physics yet. Seems even the "logical" facepunchers have their own metaphorical line they won't step over.
oh fuck IT BEGINS
To those disbelieving:
A few years ago (a lot actually, going back to at least 06), Bruce Dickinson (that singer guy from Iron Maiden) did a documentary for Sky One called "Bruce Dickinson On Spontaneous Human Combustion". He went in depth into the myths and cases of spontaneous human combustion in the UK. It has happened before, and though uncommon, does still happen, and probably always will. It's isolated though.
The general findings from Dickinson's documentary was that;
the victims are usually alcoholics or recovering alcoholics
there is a source of ignition nearby
the body will largely burn away, fiercely and quickly
the surroundings of the victim will be largely unaffected; the area immediately around the victim will be scorched, but anything more than a foot or so away will be unaffected mostly
If you want to watch it (I recommend it, it was great viewing), go to YouTube and search for "Bruce Dickinson on Spontaneous Human Combustion".
[editline]24th September 2011[/editline]
The quality of the YouTube videos isn't great, but it's watchable.
At first I didn't know.
Then.
I exploded in fire.
[QUOTE=dcalde78;32448420]To those disbelieving:
A few years ago (a lot actually, going back to at least 06), Bruce Dickinson (that singer guy from Iron Maiden) did a documentary for Sky One called "Bruce Dickinson On Spontaneous Human Combustion". He went in depth into the myths and cases of spontaneous human combustion in the UK. It has happened before, and though uncommon, does still happen, and probably always will. It's isolated though.
The general findings from Dickinson's documentary was that;
the victims are usually alcoholics or recovering alcoholics
there is a source of ignition nearby
the body will largely burn away, fiercely and quickly
the surroundings of the victim will be largely unaffected; the area immediately around the victim will be scorched, but anything more than a foot or so away will be unaffected mostly
If you want to watch it (I recommend it, it was great viewing), go to YouTube and search for "Bruce Dickinson on Spontaneous Human Combustion".
[editline]24th September 2011[/editline]
The quality of the YouTube videos isn't great, but it's watchable.[/QUOTE]
The thing is, if there's an external ignition source, it's not spontaneous combustion.
[QUOTE=elitehakor v2;32448049][video=youtube;JueCyJJ6WDA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JueCyJJ6WDA[/video]?[/QUOTE]
they need to start airing those again.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;32447096][b]So far the most disgusting thing I've heard the human body can do is creating cancerous little organic bags containing random organs and human parts such as teeth, parts of brains and even deformed little fetus clones of you.[/b]
[editline]24th September 2011[/editline]
Eating a lot of spicy food + alcohol + bad digestive system = lots of methane stuck in bowels
From that point a lot of things can happen.[/QUOTE]
What!? Link please.
[QUOTE=geoface;32446949]Didn't see this one in the newspaper, wonder why, probably because spontaneous combustion is bullshit[/QUOTE]Breaking the light barrier was impossible too.
[QUOTE=LSK;32460347]What!? Link please.[/QUOTE]
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratoma]Teratomas.[/url]
[editline]00[/editline]
Or most types of Germ Cell Tumors.
