14 POPULAK SCIENCE. 



second and third form : it was allotropic phosphorus ; accord- 

 ingly, by the names allotropic or amorphous phosphorus it 

 has ever since been known. 



Ordinary phosphorus is a very deadly and insidious poi- 

 son. If swallowed, a small portion soon kills ; but swallowing 

 is not most to be apprehended. Rats and mice indeed are 

 fond of the phosphorus flavour, and eat phosphorus readily, 

 to their own destruction, when occasions permit ; but to hu- 

 man beings the smell of phosphorus is abominable. Children 

 have been killed through putting lucifer-matches into their 

 mouths ; but that sort of accident could hardly occur to 

 grown-up people. The poison danger of phosphorus most to 

 be apprehended does not come in this way, but through inad- 

 vertently breathing air pervaded with phosphorus fumes. The 

 result is slow, but it is deadly and most horrible. If an indi- 

 vidual breathing phosphorus fumes continuously have an un- 

 sound tooth and how rare is a set of teeth wholly sound ! 

 absorption takes place, the jawbone decays, and in the end 

 the patient dies in excruciating torture. Allotropic phos- 

 phorus is wholly devoid of poisonous quality. It is not vola- 

 iile, hence it has no vapour to be breathed ; and if swallowed, 

 it does no more harm than so much chalk would have done. 

 Now phosphorus is much used in the manufacture of matches; 

 .and a very deadly operation match-making was and is under 

 the original system of using common phosphorus. Allotropic 

 phosphorus answers every need if used in a particular way ; 

 that is, not as an ingredient of the match itself, but of the 

 tablet upon which the match is rubbed. Thus Schrotter's 

 discovery enables the manufacturer not only to guard his 

 workmen against the chance of poisoning, but to guard the 

 public against the chance of setting their premises on fire, in- 

 asmuch as the sort of matches now under consideration will 

 ignite when rubbed upon their own peculiar tablet, but not 

 otherwise. 



The general history of phosphorus affords a good instance 



