MATCH:ES, pieces of various inflammable materials prepared for the purpose of ,obtaining fire readily. One of the first forms of this useful article was the brimstone match, made by cutting very thin strips of highly resinous or very dry pine-wood, about 6 in. long, with pointed ends dipped in melted sulphur; thus prepared, the sulphur points instantly ignited when applied to a spark obtained by striking fire into tinder from a flint and steel. This was in almost universal use up to the end of the first quarter of the present century, when several ingenious inventions follewed each other in rapid succession, and displaced it so completely that it would be now very difficult to purchase a bunch of brimstone matches. The first of these inventions was the " instan taneous-light box," which consisted of a small tin box containing a bottle, in which was placed some sulphuric acid with sufficient fibrous asbestus to soak it up and prevent its spilling out of the bottle, and a supply of properly prepared matches. These consisted of small splints of wood about 2 in. long, one end of which was coated with a chemical mixture, prepared by mixing chlorate of potash, 6 parts; powdered loaf sugar 2 parts, powdered gum-arabic, 1 part; the whole colored with a little-vermilion, and made into a thin paste with water. The splints were first dipped into melted sulphur, and afterwards into the prepared paste. They were readily inflamed by dipping the prepared ends into the sulphuric acid. There were several disadvantages in this invention, especially those arising from the use of so destructive a material as sulphuric acid, which also had another drawback: its great power of absorbing moisture soon rendered it inert by the absorption of moisture froin the atmosphere. The lucifer match succeeded the above, and differed materially: the bottle of sulphuric acid and all its inconveniences were dispensed with; the match was either of small strips of pasteboard or wood, and the inflammable mixture .was a compound of chlorate of potash and sulphuret of antimony, with enough of powdered .g,tim to render it adhesive when mixed with water, and applied over the end of the match, dipped as before in melted brimstone. These matches were ignited by the friction caused by drawing them through a piece of bent sand-paper. So very popular did these become, that although they have since passed away like their predecessors, they have left their name behind, which is popularly applied to other kinds since invented. Next to
the Weiler in importance was the congreve, which is the one generally used at present. 'The body of the match is usually of wood, but some, called vestas, are of very thin wax taper. The composition consists of phosphorus and niter, or phosphorus, sulphur, and chlorate of potash, mixed with melted gum or glue, and colored with vermilion, red-lead, umber, soot, or other coloring material. The proportions are almost as varied as the manufacturers are numerous. The congreve match requires only a slight friction to ignite it, for which purpose the bottom or some other part of the box is made rough by nttaching a piece of sand-paper, or covering it, after wetting it with glue, with sand. Amadou, or German tinder, is largely made into congreve matches or fusees, as they are often called, for the u.se of smokers to light their pipes or cigars. One of the latest and best introductions is that of Bryant and May, which is properly called the " special safety- match." With every variety of lucifer and congreve, there are certain dangers attending, the use, for in both a slight friction will ignite them, and as, from the very nature of their application, they are apt to be carelessly thrown about, they are conse quently exposed to the risk of accidental friction, and have doubtless been the cause of numerous and serious conflagrations. The congreves are exposed to further risks of accidental ignition arising from the employment of phosphorus, which, from its very inflammable nature, will ignite spontaneously if the temperature is a little higher than -ordinary. The match of Messrs. Bryant and May, although a new introduction, was invented in Sweden, under the name of the Swedish safety match, by a Swede named Lundstrom, a large manufacturer of matches at Jonkoping, in 1855 or 1856, and patented in this country by the firm above mentioned. The only essential difference from the congreves is in leaving out the phosphorus from the composition applied to the match, and instead, mixing it with the sand on the friction-surface, thus separating this highly inflamtnable material from its intimate and dangerous connection with the sulphur and chlorate of potash. This shuple invention seems to have removed all the objection.s from the use of this class of matches. They light " only on their own box." Many ingenious inventions lisve been introduced for making the wooden splints.