According to Walford, in the Scientific American for 1870, there was a case reported by Flowers of Louisiana of a man a hard drinker, who was sitting by a fire surrounded by his Christmas guests, when suddenly flames of a bluish tint burst from his mouth and nostrils and he was soon a corpse.

Flowers states that the body remained extremely warm for a much longer period than usual.
Statistics .-- From an examination of 28 cases of spontaneous combustion, Jacobs makes the following summary:-- (1) It has always occurred in the human living body.
(2) The subjects were generally old persons.
(3) It was noticed more frequently in women than in men.
(4) All the persons were alone at the time of occurrence.
(5) They all led an idle life.
(6) They were all corpulent or intemperate.
(7) Most frequently at the time of occurrence there was a light and some ignitible substance in the room.
(8) The combustion was rapid and was finished in from one to seven hours.
(9) The room where the combustion took place was generally filled with a thick vapor and the walls covered with a thick, carbonaceous substance.
(10) The trunk was usually the part most frequently destroyed; some part of the head and extremities remained.
(11) With but two exceptions, the combustion occurred in winter and in the northern regions.
Magnetic, Phosphorescent, and Electric Anomalies .-- There have been certain persons who have appeared before the public under such names as the "human magnet," the "electric lady," etc.

There is no doubt that some persons are supercharged with magnetism and electricity.

For instance, it is quite possible for many persons by drawing a rubber comb through the hair to produce a crackling noise, and even produce sparks in the dark.

Some exhibitionists have been genuine curiosities of this sort, while others by skilfully arranged electric apparatus are enabled to perform their feats.