Match

MATCH. A piece of inflammable material, such as wood, cardboard or waxed thread, provided with a tip which ignites by friction. From the very earliest ages some means of bringing fire into existence has been of primary importance. During the evolution of fire-producers, other methods than that of friction— both chemical and mechanical—have been employed but the most successful agency for obtaining fire has been the friction match.

Discovery of Phosphorus.—In 1670 the alchemist Brand, of Hamburg, discovered phosphorus, which is present in urine in the form of alkaline and organic phosphates. Brand was preparing a liquid from urine which was supposed to possess the power of transmuting silver into gold, and hit upon phosphorus by acci dent. Phosphorus unites with oxygen with such facility that spontaneous ignition ensues on exposure to air; and the enigma, to which early efforts to utilize this material in a practical form were directed, was the control of this property. The earliest known method consisted in the rubbing of a small particle of phosphorus between two pieces of brown paper, and in the ig niting of a "Spunk" or splinter of wood, previously tipped with sulphur. The risk of injury from burns by this process is apparent, and probably for this reason the employment of phosphorus for the purpose 3f ignition remained dormant for more than Ioo years afterwards. Then the use of the phosphoric taper was suggested. This device consisted of a sealed glass tube cor taming a small portion of phosphorus, and a small length of waxed thread ; ignition occurring upon contact with the atmosphere.

The Phosphorus Bottle of Cagniard de Latour (18io) con tained partially oxidized phosphorus used in conjunction with a sulphur tipped splint and ignited by friction. In 1816 Francois Derosne is stated to have manufactured friction matches con taining phosphorus.

Lucifers.—The year 1827 saw the first really useful friction match, made by an Englishman—John Walker, a druggist of Stockton-on-Tees. Walker's matches contained no phosphorus,

but were made of chlorate-of-potash, sugar and gum arabic. The method of striking to obtain fire was to draw the splinter of wood, tipped with this composition, rapidly and under considerable pressure, through a piece of folded sandpaper. Imitations of Walker's match were sold by Samuel Jones of London, and also by G. F. Watts under the name of "Lucifers." None of these so-called "Lucifers" were easy of ignition. Attempts were made to provide special striking surfaces on the box; one of the first being composed of chlorate-of-potash, antimony sulphide, oxide of lead, sulphur and gum arabic, sold under the name of "Congreves." Sauna's Invention.—Notwithstanding these experiments, an easily inflammable friction match was not achieved until a satis factory method of embodying 'phosphorus in a suitable mixture was invented. This seems to have been successfully accomplished by Dr. Charles Sauria of St. Lothair in 1831. Sauria neglected to acquire a patent, and as a consequence matches were manu factured according to his formula in many places, notably in Vienna and Darmstadt.

The Early Dangerous Trade.

The early strike-anywhere matches consisted mostly of a mixture of glue and the inflam mable element in large quantities, but as manufacture progressed it was found that a very much smaller quantity of phosphorus was required to arrive at a satisfactory result, and that about 5% in a mixture with chlorate-of-potash and certain inert diluents was sufficient. Unfortunately the use of yellow phosphorus was accompanied by an insidious disease, known as Phosphorus Nec rosis, or caries of the upper or lower jaw, which attacked workers in the industry, particularly those who were unhealthy. Sesquisul phide of phosphorus can be used without any deleterious effects and has now supplanted the poisonous phosphorus throughout the civilized world; an international convention at Berne in 1906 agreed to prohibit the use of yellow phosphorus.