August 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



ON CHEMISTRY APPLIED TO THE ARTS. 23 



turpentine in 4,444 of air, completely prevented the spontaneous com- 

 bustion of phosphorus. Farther, phosphorus presents the curious pro- 

 perty, that if heated to 160° F. and suddenly cooled, it becomes black, 

 and if heated to 450° or 460° for several hours, it becomes amorphous, 

 and of a dark brown colour. This allotropic state of phosphorus, first 

 noticed by Schrotter, has enabled it to render great service to society, 

 owing to its not being spontaneously inflammable (as in fact it only be- 

 comes so at a temperature approaching its point of fusion), and also to 

 its not being poisonous, so that it can be substituted for common phos- 

 phorus in the manufacture of matches with great advantage. Lastly, 

 owing to this brown amorphous phosphorus not emitting any vapours, 

 those employed in the manufacture of chemical matches now avoid the 

 risk of the dreadful disease of the jaw-bone, called phospho -necrosis. 

 Notwithstanding the great difficulties attending the manufacture of this 

 valuable product, Mr. Albright, of Birmingham, has, with praiseworthy 

 perseverance and great skill, succeeded in obtaining it perfectly pure on 

 a large scale, and at such a price as to bring it within the scope of com- 

 mercial transactions. 



Chemical Matches. — Although I do not intend to enter at great length 

 upon this subject, yet as it is a highly important one, I deem it my 

 duty to lay a few facts before you. The first application of chemistry 

 to the discovery of a substitute for the old tinder-box of our fathers was 

 made in 1820, when the sulphuretted ends of matches were covered with 

 a mixture of chlorate of potash, lycopodium, and red lead, and the 

 matches so prepared were dipped into asbestos moistened with sulphuric 

 acid. In 1836, Inciter matches were first introduced, and the explosive 

 matches were soon followed by the non-explosive ones. The composi- 

 tion of these matches is as follows : 



Non-explosive. Explosive. 



Phosphorus 25 or 30 ... 9 or 4 



Red Lead 5 „ 20 ... 16 „ 3 



Nitre „ ... 14 „ 10 



Sand 20 „ 20 



Vermilion 1 „ 



Gum or Glue 20 „ 25 ... 16 „ 6 



The danger as well as the disease attendant on this manufacture was 

 greatly mitigated by Professor Graham's discovery of the property of 

 turpentine vapour already alluded to. Until lately the only successful 

 application of amorphous phosphorus to lucifer matches was that of 

 Messrs Coignet, Freres, of Paris, who caused a rough surface to be 

 covered with it, and so prepared their matches that they would not 

 ignite except when rubbed upon the prepared surface. Similar matches, 

 under the name of " special safety matches," have also been introduced 

 into this country of late by Messrs. R. Letchford and Co., who have also 

 effected several important improvements in this branch of manufacture, 

 in one of which paraffin is made use of to carry combustion to the wood 

 instead of sulphur, which gives rise to the noxious fumes of sulphurous 



