The Phenomenon of Spontaneous Human Combustion in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Spain

Abstract

Spontaneous human combustion, today scientifically discredited, was considered a legitimate medical entity in Europe beginning in the 17th century. The aim of this study is to analyze Spanish medical conceptions about this phenomenon between the 18th and 19th centuries, starting from the world context. Primary sources were used with a deductive–inductive approach. Beyond providing an account of a discarded medical theory, this work explores how certain categories of knowledge persist, disappear, and resurface under different belief systems. We analyze how the Spanish medical discourse on SHC evolved in three stages: exposure, debate, and rejection. This allows us to observe changes in medical mentality regarding factors such as searching for sources of ignition and moderating alcohol consumption as a preventive health measure. This study and its historiographical approach enable us to explore broader issues relating to ignorance, alternative ideas, the stability of scientific knowledge over time, and shifts in the field of legal and forensic medicine. This research provides a model for analyzing the complex dynamics of knowledge and its evolution at the intersection of science, culture, and power.