Producing Fire by the Breath.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1771, 10 November 1883, Page 6

Producing Fire by the Breath.

In a recent number of the Michigan Medical News, Dr. S. 0. Woodman gives some remarkable particulars concerning a young man who seems to be a regular storehouse of electricity. The young man's name is William Underwood, age twenty-seven years, and his gift is that of generating fire through the medium of his breath, assisted by manipulations with his hands. He will take anybody's handkerchief and hold it to his mouth, rub it vigorously with his hands while breathing on it, and immediately it bursts into flames and burns until consumed. He will strip, and rinse out his mouth thoroughly, wash his hands, and submit to the most rigid examination to preclude the possibility of any humbug, and then by his breath blown upon any paper or cloth, envelop it in flame. He will, when out gunning, and without matches, desirous of a fire, lie down after collecting dry leaves, and by breathing on them start a fire, and then coolly take off hiß wet stockings and dry them, It is impossible to persuade him to do it more than twice a day, and the effort is attended with the moat extreme exhaustion. He will sinkinto a chair after doing it, and on one occasion, after he had a newspaper on fire, Dr. Woodman placed his hand on his head and discovered his soalp to be vioiently twitching, as if under intense excitement. He •will do it at any time, no matter where he is, under any circumstances, and Dr/ Woodman has repeatedly known of his sitting back from the dinner table, taking a draught of water, and by blowing on his napkin at once set it on fire. He is ignorant, and says that he first discovered his strange power by inhaling and exhaling ®n a perfumed handkerchief that suddenly burned while in his hands.