A photo from open sources
Flatulence affects about 30% of the total population. It is characteristic that with flatulence, gas escapes 300 times a day, which in 20 times more often than normal. (M. Lewitt).
At the beginning of the third millennium, in an age of unprecedented successes of science and technology, man is still faced with miracles. But now, in Unlike his predecessors, he increasingly asks the question: why? The answer is given by science. She persistently disperses the “fog secrets. “More recently, researchers uncovered the mystery of two more phenomena.
January 5, 1996 at a treatment session in the barocenter St. Petersburg Pediatric Academy in a pressure chamber alive 12-year-old Sasha Chekeres burned out. Criminal case on this tragic the case was discontinued due to the fact that four months after tragedy at the scene allegedly leftovers were found lighters that the boy allegedly carried with him.
In recent years, similar fires in single medical pressure chambers arose in other cities: Minsk, Rostov-on-Don, Barnaul, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk. About the reasons fires in such pressure chambers in some cases nothing is known since no investigative experiments were conducted. What was cause fires?
Lurking Danger
In Russia, 99% of medical institutions are equipped with single medical pressure chambers, which are unsafe in operation, because that the pressure rises with medical oxygen. Fires in them occur violently, like a slow explosion, with a rapid increase pressure and temperature (up to 1400 ° С). In multi-seat pressure chambers, which are filled not with oxygen but with air, the probability of fire below. And even if this happened, some victims were able to escape (albeit with body burns and food poisoning burning).
There are many causes of fire in pressure chambers: fire hazardous objects (lighters, matches, transistors, etc.); static electricity; clothes that accumulate an electric charge (nylon, kapron, etc.); even erased cotton may ignite spontaneously; cosmetics; some meeting rooms devices.
In “deaf” cases of fires in a pressure chamber filled with oxygen, intestinal gas abundant in patients may be to blame. This version was put forward by an employee of the Military Medical Academy Candidate of Medical Sciences Vladimir Ivanovich Tyurin.
Explosive mixtures inside a person
What can burn there, you ask? Not only burn, but also explode! American flatologists (doctors studying education intestinal gases in various parts of the intestine, their composition, volume and frequency of release) determined that these gases contain approximately 60% nitrogen, 5% oxygen, 15% carbon dioxide and 20% hydrogen. And also hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon monoxide, mercaptan “wanders” inside us. All this either burns well or explodes when connected to certain proportions with oxygen.
The researchers even found out which parts of the intestine gases are formed. For this, 11 probes were introduced with three probes (in stomach through the mouth and intestines through the anus) for 14 days. Well and they suffered, I guess. But now a lot is known.
It turns out that when digesting an average lunch almost 15 liters of gas are formed! True, with a fart they come out only a few percent, and the rest through the walls of the intestine penetrates into blood is secreted through the lungs.
Normally, the amount of intestinal gas is small – 0.9-1.0 liters. At flatulence (bloating), this volume increases to 5-10 liters, moreover, due to combustible and explosive gases – hydrogen and methane. Even cases of inflammation and explosions of intestinal gases during time of operations and complex medical procedures.
It is possible that an explosive mixture also forms under the covers. patient in a pressure chamber.
As is known, oxygenobarotherapy is prescribed for sick people. By this non-specific method treat many serious diseases: gas gangrene, extensive burns, sepsis, heart and vascular disease, psoriasis, periodontal disease, gastrointestinal disorders and much another.
Thus, patients in the pressure chamber emit flammable gases not only from the intestines, but also when breathing.
“Fresh breath”
According to the smell of exhaled air, doctors have been since Hippocrates were able to identify diseases. Diabetic patients exhale “smell” acetone, with severe liver damage, a fishy smell comes out, with renal failure from the mouth “pulls” urine, and with an abscess a putrid stench is emitted from the lung.
The breath analysis was first performed in 1784 by Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (who discovered the role of oxygen in combustion) and the French mathematician Pierre Laplace. They did it on a guinea pig and found that the animal inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide. Other volatile components of exhaled air were detected only with mid XIX century.
In 1971, 250 volatile organic compounds were known in exhaled air, and currently there are about 400 including combustibles – methane and hydrogen. Dangerous fun
Some people use the burning properties of intestinal gas to entertainment. This is often shown in youth comedies. Someone Michael Lewitt set fire to his exhaust gases with a burning torch. Sometimes the flame length reached 25 cm or more.
A photo from open sources
A few years ago, the Irish newspaper Irish Times in an article entitled “Gone with the Wind” talked about serious the consequences of such entertainment. One of the county farmers Offaly decided to make a joke and released the gases on a lit match to trace their trajectory while in the barn. And did not calculate: the trajectory was so great that the fire under the pressure of intestinal gases (which can be pulled out at a speed of 0.1 to 1.1 m / s) reached a haystack. And after a few minutes everything burned out.
It’s better to have a “harmless” fun following the example of a rock and roll star Rod Stewart. Together with his wife, supermodel Rachel Hunter, he indulges in his favorite pastime and even competes with her, arguing on big money, in who will release the loudest “line charges. “The biggest nuisance for outsiders at the same time is- spoiled air.
Voice of Heaven
But is it really dangerous to release gases in a pressure chamber, maybe doubt the reader?
According to foreign and domestic researchers, flatulence about 30% of the total population suffers, with almost all gases leaving 300 times a day (20 times more often than normal). It is estimated that for flatulence people release gases 12-13 times per hour, and the volume of each “charge” is 40 ml or more.
Often flatulence occurs after surgery. To reduce it patients are sometimes placed in a single medical pressure chamber. At increased pressure, the patient’s abdomen falls, peristalsis intestines are restored, and intestinal gases begin to flow away. Surgeons call this the “voice of heaven.” This voice is especially strong manifested with a decrease in pressure in the pressure chamber. And here it can spontaneous combustion of evolved methane, hydrogen sulfide or detonating gas.
Potential fire or explosion in the pressure chamber due to congestion of intestinal gases substantiated by specialists. However, not all consider this reason convincing. In case of fire chamber Pediatric Academy of St. Petersburg, the commission examining this incident, did not consider it necessary to mention intestinal gases among probable reasons for the tragedy.
A photo from open sources
Astronauts burned out in oxygen
In 1971, a Soviet astronaut died on Earth in a fire in sound chamber filled with pure oxygen (at a pressure of 259 mm Hg. Art.). When burning oxygen, the temperature is very fast increases, even lead wires and stainless melt steel.
In 1977, in the United States, three astronauts burned out in a spacecraft. a ship also filled with pure oxygen (at a pressure of 270 mm Hg. c.). After that, in order to increase fire safety Americans began to use in spaceships nitrogen-oxygen mixture (69% nitrogen and 31% oxygen), and in pressure chambers only compressed air.
And in Italy, because of the danger of fires, they completely abandoned the use of single medical pressure chambers.
But is it dangerous to “shoot intestinal charges” in space? After all at the expiration of a gas stream from the anus of the astronaut jet thrust is created. What is the speed of such a jet allows you to move inside and outside the ship?
One of the Russian astronauts who went into outer space, said this problem is not relevant. Strength less than the total impulse of traction of own breath. Boles the serious problem that even the dissertation is dedicated to is duvet cover that every one of us breathes.
(A lot more problems when working in space create a beating hearts: in zero gravity, the body vibrates due to its impacts. It interferes astronauts work on ultra-precise optical instruments. It’s necessary to fix the body in order to precisely “aim” at the cross appliance.)
It turns out that letting out gases in space is safe, not even with your head you come across.
By the way, a person “salutes” from the intestines on average 8 times a day, that is 2,900 times a year, and in a lifetime a man releases a line from gases in 209 thousand charges, and a woman – 232 thousand. Besides it produces a noise effect!
Dangerous occupation
It turns out that the “heavenly voice” (as surgeons call this phenomenon) sometimes it has more than serious and tragic consequences. Los Angeles Researcher Jim Dawson Published Whole Book cut cheese “dedicated to the” cultural history of the emission of gases. ” Some excerpts from it indicate the severity of the problem.
For example, a single idle shot cost 10 to thousands of people in the 1st century AD. Some Roman warrior decided express his contempt for the Jews and loudly let out gas in the presence of a crowd of thousands. The people were indignant and rioted during which many innocent people died.
“Pour a drink!”
In 1998, at one of the fires in the Vyborgsky district of St. Petersburg two firefighters admitted that they met in their practice unexplained cases of spontaneous combustion of people. In official reports only cases of fires and casualties are recorded. Spontaneous combustion of people if any, counts as victim, without indication causes.
Fire tamers refused to give names: the authorities do not like extraneous conversations at the facilities.
Three years ago, Nikolai was on a call in a communal apartment. Vyborg district. The neighbors called firefighters when out of the room the drunkards went smoke and the pungent smell of burning. Arriving firemen hacked the door and saw on the floor a completely drunk burned man. His body was in terrible burns, sometimes charred. clothing fragments preserved. When they began to lift him, the man woke up and began to ask: “Pour a drink!” Then he died. What is surprising: except for him, nothing burned out in the room. Even if he set fire to yourself, the furniture would catch fire, but here – everything remained intact.
One friend recently working in the fire department heard about a similar case from colleagues from the Nevsky district. Occasionally in the press there are messages about people burning inside. Causes such incidents remain a mystery.
Flashing inside
This dramatic incident occurred on February 19, 1725 in one small Parisian hotel and became the first official evidence of spontaneous human ignition. Suffering alcoholism the wife of the owner Jacques Millet went down to the basement, capturing bring a bottle of wine with you. The owner fell asleep without waiting for his wife. His woke up the smell of burning. Jacques Millet dressed hastily and threw himself into the basement. There a terrible picture appeared before his eyes: the remains were smoldering on the armchair unhappy woman.
A photo from open sources
The court tried to accuse the innkeeper of the murder, but one surprising circumstance saved the innocent from execution: his wife burned from the inside. The victim’s clothes were unburnt! Doctor Le Cha, who was in the hotel that night, was able to prove judges that no mortal is able to burn a person’s body, damaging surrounding objects.
Such chilling incidents are far from uncommon in annals of history. Most often, victims of spontaneous combustion became chubby women addicted to wine. Therefore, 300 years ago many thought it was God’s punishment for an unrighteous lifestyle. But sometimes the fire punished and innocent people.
American Jack Angell, absolutely sober, November 12, 1974 went to bed in his van. He woke up only after four days and was horrified to see that his right hand was burned to the ground. Significant areas of skin on the back were also burnt. When polling the unfortunate could not say anything intelligible. He succeeded recall only the “strange likeness of an explosion in the chest.” Neighbors camping who arrived in time for help, was amazed to find on Jack Angel’s intact pajamas.
Forensic medical experts were also extremely surprised – hand the victim burned out from the inside. Testified to this skin and bone preserved in places, turned into ashes. Specialists have been disassembling and assembling Jack’s van for more than two years, trying to discover the reason for the riddle in it, but to no avail.
Began to burn more often
In 1985, there were several cases in England. spontaneous ignition of people. So, on January 28, a young student, descending into the hall of Widnes College in Cheshire, suddenly flared up on eyes in shocked friends and soon has passed away.
Another victim was an elderly widow, Mary Carter, found dead in the hallway of her apartment on Ivor Road, Sparkhill, County of Birmingham. Although there were matches in the room, next to their corpse not found. They didn’t understand where the fire came from.
A photo from open sources
A month later, at the 19-year-old computer operator Paul Hayes his stomach flared when he calmly walked on Stephen Green in London He managed to get to the hospital, where doctors saved him, because the fire burned for about 30 seconds.
In 1988, in England, a woman of 71 survived after spontaneous combustion, but her husband was seriously burned, saving his wife from fire.
In April 1990, a 14-year-old boy from Hunan Province (China) flashed involuntarily several times. Small Flames bursting from round pores on his skin.
May 29 of the same year in Los Angeles (USA) 26-year-old Angela Hernandez, a patient at the medical center, suddenly ignited operating table and died.
Similar cases are known in Russia. One of them occurred in October 1990 on the border of the Saratov and Volgograd regions. Two shepherds accidentally wandered onto the hillside, which, according to local According to popular belief, you need to bypass. Feeling tired, one of they crouched on a stone (according to other sources, crouched out of great need), and the other went to reassure the sheep, frightened by something. Back from flocks, the shepherd found the partner’s charred corpse. No more has passed five minutes.
Before the arrival of doctors and police, the corpse was transferred to a cart. Eyewitnesses testified that the clothes on it were not damaged by the flame. However, when the body was removed from the cart, its bottom was charred. A business on charges of a shepherd in arson of a partner closed for lack evidence.
Theoretical spark
Do these strange occurrences of living things lend themselves to explanation torches? According to South African professor Jackie van Streype, there may be several hypotheses. The most plausible following: in our body contains chemical elements (e.g. phosphorus), which, in contact with each other or with air, may ignite spontaneously. Probably under certain conditions unknown pure phosphorus formed reacts with oxygen and … explodes.
Another assumption is based on the fact that flames can other substances: combustible gases released by the body, as well as fats, which are especially numerous in the body of fat men. Theoretical spark capable of setting fire to a combustible mixture, may result from differences of electrostatic potentials of separate internal organs.
In the 19th century, the hypothesis of spontaneous combustion of drunkards was popular, whose bodies are alcoholized and therefore flare up from any spark, even when smoking.
The hypotheses listed above cannot nevertheless explain why in most cases, surrounding objects remain intact, and sometimes the clothes of the victims.
A number of researchers of this phenomenon have expressed other assumptions. Fire burning the unfortunate inside is caused by a ball lightning, microwave radiation and even … the reaction of the atomic synthesis in the body.
Which of the hypotheses will be valid?
Recently, British researchers tore the veil of secrecy, existed for almost three centuries. It was found that The cause of the phenomenon is methane. It builds up in the intestines due to a violation of the digestive system. Sometimes enough do not smoke in time so that the gas accumulated in the body cavities ignited.
No longer an enigma and ability to unusual fire destroy bones. Experimenters fried a fat pig low heat for 5 hours. It turned out that the bones of the deceased during the name of the animal science became black, easily crumbling firebrands.
Fat turned them into ashes. It turned out that fatty the layer of mammals significantly increases the destructive power flame. This find allowed us to explain the mysterious preservation. lower body in victims of spontaneous combustion. As you know, on your feet fat is practically absent.
From the book “Phenomena, Secrets, Hypotheses” Potapov A. V.
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