This article was originally published with the title “Is Charcoal Liable to Spontaneous Combustion ?” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 13 No. 24 (February 1858), p. 190 doi:10.1038 ...

By distilling bituminous coal in retorts to obtain gas for illumination, or by burning it in kilns or pits, the residue left behind is called coke, which is simply coal charcoal, and is nearly ...