Contains partial Profanity

Next time you’re bored, go to Wikipedia and type in ‘flatulence’. It’s fascinating. Not only is the content full of facts you never knew, never really wanted to know, and always wondered about, but the writing is very objective.

The primary constituents of flatulence (collectively known as flatus)

Wait a minute… Flatus???

are the non-odorous gases nitrogen (ingested), oxygen (ingested), methane (produced by anaerobic microbes), carbon dioxide (produced by aerobic microbes or ingested), and hydrogen (produced by some microbes and consumed by others). Odors result from trace amounts of other constituents (see below).

The noises commonly associated with flatulence are caused not by a flapping of the butt cheeks as commonly thought but by the vibration of the anal opening. The sound varies depending on the tightness of the sphincter muscle and velocity of the gas being propelled.

See? Fascinating stuff. But this is not all. It gets far better later on with sections like Health Effects, Other words for flatulence, and Historic Farts. It also includes entries on famous people, such as Le Pétomane (seen on the right) who had an act at the Moulin Rouge, where he would play a flute through a rubber tube in his anus and fart sound effects of cannon fire and thunderstorms. Apparently the climax of his act was his rendition of the 1906 San Fransisco earthquake.

Last but not least is the entry on lighting farts. Ever done it? Ever been tempted to? The entry states, in a perfectly civilized and controlled manner, the following:

Lighting farts is the practice of igniting the gases produced by flatulence. It is practised primarily among young men, but discouraged for its potential for causing injury.

Farts consist largely of flammable methane gas. Lighting such gas can result in burns or explosions. Clothing and/or hair may catch fire or sensitive tissues can be damaged.

Such experiments are common among young men on camping trips or in single-sex group residences such as dormitories or fraternity houses, but the flammability of bodily gases has caused serious problems in the operating room and also in slaughterhouses.

Makes you wonder about the submitter, doesn’t it?

The grand finale answers your unasked question - has anyone ever exploded from a fart?

At least one patient is known to have exploded while undergoing cauterization of a rectal polyp. An electric spark ignited the patient’s intestinal gases, resulting in a six-inch (15-cm) hole in the patient’s large intestine. However, this was sewn up, and the patient recovered

The answer? In a way… Yes.