Burned by a belch

In 1890, Dr. James McNaught of Manchester reported in The British Medical Journal the strange case of a 24-year-old factory worker whose burp caught on fire while he was holding a match, badly burning his face and lips. McNaught managed to replicate the burning belch with the man in his office, confirming it really did happen. He diagnosed the problem as the "eructation of inflammable gas" from the man's stomach.

McNaught concluded that the man suffered from a disorder that caused food to ferment in his stomach and produce flammable gas, instead of being digested. He advised the man to eat foods that would pass more quickly out of his stomach, to avoid the fermentation.

More info: British Medical Journal, "A Case of Dilatation of the Stomach Accompanied by the Eructation of Inflammable Gas"

     Posted By: Alex - Fri Apr 21, 2023
     Category: Health | Stomach | Smells and Odors





Comments
I suppose this is the time to mention that as kids we heard and experimented with the effects at the other end of the body. It never occurred to us that the same effect might also be found from our stomachs.
Posted by KDP on 04/21/23 at 10:55 AM
Would have been absolutely great on Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks".

Also this ability would make it easier to start a fire. I can see you are getting along really well with your date on a winter night. After dinner out, you 2 go to one or the other's house. A fireplace! It's then time to start a cozy fire and ....

Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 04/22/23 at 06:30 AM
...or not hold a lit match to his face. That'd do the trick as well.
Posted by Richard Bos on 04/22/23 at 08:55 AM
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