Reports to the Secretary of State for the Home department on the use of phosphorus in the manufacture of lucifer matches.

  • Thorpe, T. E. (Thomas Edward), 1845-1925.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports to the Secretary of State for the Home department on the use of phosphorus in the manufacture of lucifer matches. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    119/294 (page 89)
    Ministry of Justice, therefore, made a searching inquiry into the subject. It had been struck, for example, by this peculiar fact, that in one place, in Frederiksburg especially, cases of phosphorus necrosis had occurred out of all proportion to those in other factories, a circumstance which was subsequently attributed to the larger amount of phosphorus used in the paste here than elsewhere. In the seven factories in Denmark where yellow phosphorus wag used there were employed 76 adults and ISO children. At the hospitals ol Frederiksburg and Copenhagen during the previous five years 11 patients had been treated for phosphorus poisoning; nine of these came from the factory in Frederiksburg, of whom two died ; four were operated upon, and three recovered. Other cases of phosphorus necrosis were subsequently brought to light. A committee of the Polytechnic School was appointed by the Ministry of Justice to inquire into the conditions of labour in the Frederiskburg Factory in which were employed 83 out of the total 256 engaged in the match industry. This committee reported that it was not necessary to prohibit entirely the manufacture of phosphorus matches, for by stringent regulations the employment could be made safe. It recommended, for example, a reduction of the phosphorus in the paste to 10 per cent.; better ventilation of the dipping tables, and these to be surrounded by turpentine ; all through the factory better ventilation and repeated medical inspection. Subse- quently this subject was dealt with by the Royal College of Health whose opinion was that, as no regulations had ever sufficed to prevent the dangers to health from the manufacture of matches with yellow phosphorus, aud in view of the recklessness of the children and adults employed its use should be prohibited. The Government recognised the difficulty in which it was placed by these conflicting recommendations, but it at once saw that if it prohibited the use of white phosphorus employers would simply have to resort to the manufacture of safety matches in the factories they occupied. The Government diew attention to the following facts, viz. : that of 5,041 fires during the years from 1862 to 1872 no less than 291 were due to phosphorus matches; of these 198 were caused by children under 10 years of age; also that as regards the 32 cases of poisoning that had occurred in Denmark between the years 1857-72, of these 18 were due to the use of phosphorus matches. In view of the fact that matches made with red or amorphous phosphorus are entirely without danger to the workers, are not poisonous and are less likely to cause fire than ordinary matches, the Ministry of Justice thought the simplest measure to adopt was the entire prohibition of the manufacture of matches made with yellow phosphorus. Sweden is one of the largest producers of matches and has some of the best factories for the manufacture of “safeties” and ordinary lucifers. In 1870 Sweden began to legislate for ordinary phosphorus matches. The Government entrusts the manufacture of these to such persons as possess a certificate from a University, Medico chemical, and Pharmaceutical Institute, or a Higher Technical School, showing that they are quite familiar with the processes of manufacture and dangers of the industry. Although not strictly enforced it is one of the provisions of the regulations that no person shall work in the mixing or dipping room longer than six months without a break of two months. Gargles of permanganate of potash are provided for, and are used by the workmen, and in some of the factories the floors are sprinkled with turpentine. In the south of Sweden there are 10 factories which use yellow phosphorus, and in 1891 there were 6 cases of necrosis (0 • 56 per cent, of the number employed), but as there is no comjmlsory notification of this illness it is more than likely that the number stated is less than it should be. It is the opinion of most of the Swedish employers that were the use of yellow phosphorus prohibited it would spell ruin to the match-making industry in their country. In all the Swedish match factories where yellow phosphorus is used there occurred in two years, 1890-91, 19 cases of necrosis. One of the cases is interesting from the fact that the symptoms did not develop until two years after leaving the factory. Germany.—Dr. J. Kuipers, in a paper on phosphorus necrosis, gives an analysis of 18 cases treated at the Jena Hospital between 1890 and 1895. Regulations were framed by the Government in 1884 which dealt with the subject of phosphorus necrosis, but in spite of the regulations it would e 6324. J\f