United labor bulletin., 1910-07-07
PHOSPHORUS POISONING.
The Match Industry'I In the United States
Found To Be Dangerous

phorus poisoning in American match fac
tories are presented in Bulletin No. sc
of the Bureau of Labor of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor. This in
vestigation was recently made by DR..
John B. Andrews, secretary of the Amer
lean Association for Labor Legislation,
in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor.
The manufacture of matches where
white phosphorus is used, as in all Amer
lean factories exposes all employees who
come in contact with the phosphorus or
its fumes to the dangers of phosphorus
necrosis. The phosphorus most frequent
ly attacks the jawbones and not infre
quently necessitates the removal of an
entire jaw by surgical operation. 1t is
the experience of all factories and all
countries that SO long as white phos-
phorus is used the danger can not be en-
tirely eliminated, although it may be
much diminished by thorough ventilation
and by the rigid enforcement of preven-
tive measures.
The investigation of is American
match factories during the year 1909
proved conclusively that in spite of mod
ern methods and precautions, phosphorus
poisoning in the most serious form oc-
ours in this country. Numerous definite
cases of phosphorus poisoning were dis
covered by special agents of the Bureau
of Labor who visited the factories and
talked with the factory managers, and
it was learned that many other cases
had occurred. An intensive investigation
by Dr. Andrews in the homes of the work
people of three of the factories yielded a
total of 50 cases. The records of more
than 100 cases of the disease were dis
covered during this investigation within
a very short time, though it has been the
claim of some of the match manufactur-
ers, and there is popular impression
that the trouble has not existed in seri-
GUS form for 20 years in this country. In
two factories at least eight perfectly
authenticated serious cases were found
to have occurred during the year 1909,
and references were found to three more.
In one small factory records were Sc
cured of more than 20 serious cases DUR
ing the past 80 years, many of them re-
quiring the removal of an entire jaw.
This factory has been under its present
ownership since 1892. In one of the most
modern establishments. owned by the
same company since 1880, records of 40
cured OF this number 15 resulted in
permanent deformity through the loss
of one or both jaws, and several cases
resulted in death. One death occurred
at this factory in June, 1908. In another
factory the records of 81 cases were Sc
cured, six of which were in the year
1909.
Detailed investigation of 15 match fac
tories showed that 65 per cent. of the
employees were working under conditions
exposing them to the fumes of phos-
phorus and the dangers of phosphorus
poisoning. The employment of women
and children is such that they are much
more exposed to the dangers than are
the men. Ninety-five per cent of all the
women and s3 per cent of the children
under 16 years of age were exposed to
the dangers of the poison The total
number OF employees in the Is factories
Investigated was, according to the state
ments made by the manufacturers, 1851,
of whom 2,024 were men. 1,25S were
women 16 years OF age and over, while
children under 16 numbered SI4, OF
whom I2I were boys and 1913 were girls.
There is no doubt that in some in
u
norance of the serious dangers OF match
factory employment In several factories
visited, not a single notice was posted
warning the employees of the peculiar
dangers to which they were exposed.
In some instances the employers also
have carried on the manufacture of
matches entirely in ignorance of the
dangers involved. The manager of one
factory even stated that they had gone
on for five years in no way suspecting
that there was anything dangerous
about the material they were using.
Their attention was first called to the
dangers of the industry by an epidemic
of phosphorus necrosis which broke out
almost simultaneously among their en-
ployes.
A movement, which had been growing
| for number of years, for the prohibit
ton of the use of white phosphorus cul-
minated in 1906 in the international con-
vention of Berne called on the initiative
of the International Association for La
Dor Legislation. As a result of this con-
vention the leading countries of Europe
joined in q treaty to prohibit the manu-
facture, Importation, and sale of matches
made OF white phosphorus.
Great Britain for a while held aloof
from the movement, endeavoring to con-
troll the danger by the strictest kind Of
legal regulation. After a trial of a num-
ber OF years the effort was admitted to
be a failure. and legislation was, there
fore, enacted which became effective the
first of the present year by which Great
Britain joined the alliance of the coun-
tries prohibiting the manufacture, i'm
portation, or sale of white phosphorus
matches.
| harmless substitute for white phos-
phorus. that is commercially practicable,
has been found in the sesqui-sulphide of
phosphorus. and is largely in use abroad
in the manufacture of the strike any,
where" match. For the safety match red