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.

    88/294 (page 62)
    The match works at Habel- schwerdt. From the report of the Swiss Inspectors I gather that there had been no case of necrosis in this factory for 12 years prior to their visit in ] 893. Thanks to the good offices of my friend G-eheimrath Professor Ladenburg, Professor of Chemistry in the University of Breslau, who introduced us to Prince Hatzfeldt, the Governor of the province of Silesia, Dr. Oliver, who had been able to join me in Berlin, and I were given every facility to see over the Habelschwerdt works. We were accompanied byRegierungs u. Gewerberath Schuler and Kgl. Gewerbe Inspector Tobias, to whom we are under obliga- tions for the manner in which they caused everything to be shown to us, and for the readiness with which they gave us all the information at their disposal. At Mr. Carl Griibels’s factory we met the son of the proprietor, who was so good as to conduct us over the works. The establishment is about 20 years old, and has been subjected to a number of structural alterations to enable it to comply with the regulations. It employs about 140 hands, of whom 40 are adult males. Its production is about one-third of the common phosphorus- sulphur matches, and two-thirds safeties. The manufacture of the former kind of matches is very intermittent, occurring on the aggregate on not more than 100 days in the year. The total annual consumption of ordinary phosphorus (English) is about 600 lbs., i.e., at most 6 lbs. a day. The “ composition ” consists of glue, zinc oxide, and phosphorus—the latter to the extent of one-third of the dry materials. A common form of such highly phosphoretted paste is as follows:— Glue - - - - - - 14- parts. Water - - - - - 18 „ Phosphorus - - - - - 9 ,, Zinc White - - - 7 ,. Powdered glass - - - - 3 ,, It is usually coloured with magenta paste or some other aniline dye. It is first mixed by hand in the shop and afterwards stirred by an agitator, driven by power, in the open air. No special precautions are taken as regards “ fumes.” The dipping was done by the machine figured on page 21. We were told that no case of necrosis had occurred in the place. Roller’s machinery is used for splint cutting, &c., and Russian aspen is employed exclusively. The boxes are made outside, in the homes of the worker. Twenty persons only are concerned with the manufacture and packing of phosphorus matches. The boxing is done by hand, and in rooms of about 5 metres high ; the women employed are, as, a class older than is usually found in match works. The washing arrangements were somewhat primitive ; opportunities were afforded to the operatives to rinse their mouths with permanganate solution. The hours of work are from 6 to 11.30, 1 to 4,4. 30 to 6.30. C. Tietze’s Nachfolger’s Factory at Habelschwerdt is a type of works which, happily, is gradually becoming extinct in Germany. It; mainly makes phosphorus-sulphur matches, and these under very insanitary conditions. It employs about 100 workers, 40 of whom are men. About 30 persons are concerned in the manufacture and handling of phosphorus matches. The apparatus is old-fashioned, and of a type, indeed, which is almost obsolete. There is no steam-power in the place, and the ventilation is bad, partly owing to structural defects and partly to the situation of the building against the face of a high rock. About 5 lbs. of phosphorus are consumed daily. The mixing is effected in a small room with no mechanical ventilation, or indeed, any other means of removing the vapours beyond the occasional opening of a door. The dipping is done by hand on a machine similar to that shown in Fig. 18, p. 41, which the Inspectors have caused to be placed under a hood connected with a chimney. The smell of phosphorus was very evident in the place. The drying rooms were not ventilated, and their general condition was bad.