MANUFACIURE OF MATCHES. 241 



nning-. the first symptoms of wliich are loss of flesh, with a yellowish skin, followed 

 by pains in the stomach, debility and trembling of the limbs, palpitation of the heart, 

 and like affections; in some Cases diseases of the breathing organs are noticed, but 

 the worst consequences of phosphorus poisoning are inflammation of the lungs, 

 and gangrene of the maxillary bones. 



In view of the above mentioned unfavourable hygienic conditions in which 

 the match factories are placed by the very nature of their method of manufacture, 

 when in 1887 the question of the instalment of a tax upon matches arose, and a 

 special conference at the Ministry of Finance for the deliberation of the proposition 

 was organized, the conclusion was reached that such a tax was highly desirable, 

 especiallj' from the hygienic and sanitary points of view, as likely to bring about an 

 improvement in the organization of the factories and in the conditions of the work 

 in them. In order to further such improvements, and to prevent the opening of 

 factoi'ies too small to be able to answer all the sanitary and hygienic requirements, 

 the rule was laid down that the existing match factories should use band labels to 

 the value of 1,500 roubles, and the newly established works, to the value of 3,000 

 roubles. Moreover the conditons were made obligatory to every factory, that it should 

 have the following principal premises: 1. a separate storehouse! for the keeping of 

 phosphorus, sulphur, Bertholet's salt, and paraffin; 2. a section for the preparation of 

 the phosphureted mass, and the dipping therein of the match ends ; 3. another house 

 for the packing of matches and the putting of the band labels on the boxes ; 4. a se- 

 parate storehouse for the keeping of the packed but not yet labelled boxes. 



When on January 4, 1888, the law was issued ordering an excise to be levied 

 on matches, and was put into force from May 1, the production of matches entered 

 upon a new period of existence; although, owing to the above mentioned exactions 

 with regard to the organization of the factories, some of them closed their doors, 

 the production, however, grew to be more regular, and the quality of the products, 

 as well as the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the work, greatly improved. In 

 1887 there were in all 360 match factories ; in 1888, after the instalment of the 

 excise, their number decreased to 278, 



The table on the following page shows in what regions the number of such 

 factories has mostly decreased. From the same data it may be seen that the general 

 decrease of the number of match factories in 1888 as compared to 1887 was about 

 23 per cent. 



Of the 278 establishments making matches in 1888 the greater part, namely 

 233, or 80.2 per cent, w'ere producing phosphorous matches, the number of those 

 making them without phosphorus being only 17, or 6.1 per cent; 38 factories, or 

 13.7 per cent, making both kinds of matches. The total output of all the match manu- 

 factories amounted in 1888 to 59,355,-325,000 pieces. This quantity comprised, how- 

 ever, only those produced after the instalment on May 1, 1888, of the excise; but 

 when the total stock stored up in the several trade establishments was reckoned 

 on June 11, 1888, the amount of such matches in the whole Empire w\^s found to be 

 24,036,646,000 pieces. 



Of the matches produced since May 1, at the 278 factories at work in 1888, 

 the quantity of which is mentioned above, 77.5 per cent fell to simple phosphorous 

 matches, and 22.5 per cent to non-phosphorous, the central manufacturing govern- 



If. 



