PHOSPHORUS  AND  MATCH  MANUFACTURES.  149 
platinum  has  the  property  of  causing  a  mixture  of  oxygen  and 
hydrogen  gases  to  unite  and  inflame,  and  invented  his  well- 
known  hydrogen  lamp.  This  consisted  of  an  apparatus  somewhat 
similar  to  Volta's  for  generating  hydrogen  by  means  of  zinc  and 
and  diluted  sulphuric  acid  in  a  strong  glass  vessel.  On  turn- 
ing a  small  tap  a  jet  of  the  gas  issued  forth  and  impinged  upon 
a  small  ball  of  the  platinum  powder  which  immediatly  became 
red  hot  and  ignited  it ;  from  this  a  taper  was  lighted.  By  a 
peculiar  mechanical  contrivance  in  this  apparatus,  when  the  gas 
issued  from  the  orifice,  the  acid  and  water  came  in  contact  with 
the  zinc  and  generated  a  fresh  supply  of  gas ;  and  as  soon  as 
the  tap  was  closed  and  a  sufficient  stock  of  the  gas  was  produced, 
the  liquid  was  expelled  by  the  gas  from  contact  with  the  zinc, 
and  the  generation  of  gas  ceased. 
In  182G  »  lucifers,"  or  light-bearing  matches,  were  invented* 
They  consisted  of  ordinary  sulphur  matches,  tipped  with  a  com- 
position of  chlorate  of  potash  and  sulphuret  of  antimony,  and 
were  ignited  by  drawing  them  briskly  between  folded  glass  paper. 
The  defect  of  these  was  that  they  required  a  considerable 
effort  to  ignite  them,  and  the  composition  was  apt  to  be  torn  off 
by  the  violence  of  the  friction. 
These  were  succeeded  in  1828  by  the  "  Prometheans,"  con- 
sisting of  a  small  roll  of  gummed  paper,  containing  at  one  end  a 
dried  paste  of  sugar,  chlorate  of  potash,  gum,  and  water,  togeth- 
er with  a  small  bulb  of  glass  containing  oil  of  vitriol.  They  were 
ignited  by  means  of  a  small  pair  of  pliers  supplied  with  the  box 
of  matches. 
In  1830,  bottles,  containing  a  mixture  of  one  part  of  manga- 
nese and  two  parts  of  phosphorus,  were  patented  for  producing 
a  light.  Into  these  bottles  common  sulphur  matches  were  dip- 
ped, and  ignited  by  oxidation  of  the  phosphorus  on  exposure  to 
the  air. 
All  these  inventions  failed  to  supersede  the  old  tinder-box  with 
its  flint  and  steel,  chiefly  on  account  of  their  greater  expense, 
but  also  on  account  of  their  dangerous  and  uncertain  action. 
About  the  year  1833  phosphorus  was  at  last  successfully  intro- 
duced into  match  composition,  and  from  that  period  the  tinder- 
box  rapidly  declined  in  use,  and  the  new  matches  became  a  suc- 
cessful and  extensive  branch  of  manufacture. 
