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
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.
99/294 (page 73)
![“ Observations.” “ The phosphorus used in the manufacture of lucifer matches acts injuriously upon human health, and causes diseases. The first symptoms of disease are— Swelling of the gums accompanied by pain and an inclination to bleeding; the gums afterwards become sore and ulcerated. The teeth are loosened, and dull persistent pain follows. In other instances coughing and pains in the chest manifest themselves. “ Those persons in whom such symptoms develop are requested, for their own sakes, to report themselves to the Medical Officer, to leave off work, and to submit to a regular course of medical treatment, if they desire to avoid more serious consequences. “ For those who have wounds on the body, suppuration in the mouth, or whose gums begin to bleed, or whose teeth have only recently become decayed, to work in the mixing, dipping, or packing rooms is especially fraught with danger. “ Workmen engaged in these operations are enjoined to leave these places at once, the more so because they are sure to be dismissed from them at the next quarterly medical examination. “ To avoid the noxious action of the phosphorus every workman must well wash his hands, rinse his mouth with the violet coloured lotion kept for this purpose in the washing rooms, or at least thoroughly wash his hands and rinse his mouth with clean water before taking his meals. The overalls worn during working hours must also be taken off before washing and before meals are taken. Persons employed can obtain gratuitously a copy of these regulations from the factory inspector of the district.” Art. 22. The Sanitary Authorities and their experts shall inspect the lucifer match factories at least once in every three months, and satisfy them- selves that the preventive arrangements ordered by these regulations are effectively carried out. The expert of the Sanitary Authority shall assist in the examination of such factories when called upon to do so by the factory inspector. Art. 23. The Order, No. 5,089, issued by the Minister of the Interior, on March 15th, 1869, referring to the protection of the health of workmen engaged in the manufacture of lucifer matches is hereby revoked and declared null and void. Art. 24. Those infringing the administrative rules or the prohibitions of this order commit a misdemeanour at common law, provided that their acts do not come under the Criminal Statutes XVII., 1884, or XVIII., 1893. In accordance with the orders issued by the Minister of the Interior, in conformity with Art. 42 of the Statute Laws XXXVIII., 1880, such misdemeanour can be punished by a fine, not exceeding 100 florins. Special regulations relating to the manufacture of matches in various countries, in addition to those already given, have also been collected by the Home Office, with the assistance of the Foreign and Colonial Offices. They are as follows :— SWITZERLAND. Recent legislation on the subject of phosphorus poisoning in Switzerland dates from March 1870, when the attention of the Federal Assembly, at that time considering a new Factory Act, was directed, by the Medical Society of Berne, to the injurious effects of phosphorus on the health of the workers. In June 1878 the Federal Chambers approved of a motion that special attention should be devoted to the manufacture of phosphorus matches, in connexion with the execution of the Factory Act then coming into force, and that a report be made to the Federal Assembly of the measures taken and the results obtained. In May 1879 a special report of the factory Inspectors was presented, in which they stated it as their opinion that the use of ordinary (yellow) phos- phorus should be prohibited, and in November of the same year a Bill was brought forward, and approved by the Federal Assembly, for prohibiting the manufacture, importation, and sale of matches in which ordinary (yellow) phosphorus was used, the law to come into force in January 1881. 6 6324, ]£](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2804003x_0099.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
