PHOSPHORUS  AND  MATCH  MANUFACTURES.  241 
ON  THE  ORIGIN  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE  PHOSPHORUS  AND 
MATCH  MANUFACTURES. 
By  G.  Gore. 
(Concluded  from  page  155.) 
The  latest  improvement  of  note  in  the  manufacture  of  matches 
is  that  of  M.  Lundstrom,  of  Jonkoping,  in  Sweden.  It  consists 
in  dividing  the  ingredients  of  the  match  mixture  into  two  sepa- 
rate compositions,  one  being  placed  upon  the  ends  of  the  splints 
as  usual,  and  the  other,  which  contains  the  phosphorus,  being 
spread  in  a  thin  layer  upon  the  end  or  lid  of  the  box.  The 
patentee  uses  the  following  mixture  for  the  splints: 
Chlorate  of  potash       ...       6  parts. 
Sulphide  of  antimony   .       .       2  to  3  " 
Glue  ....  1  « 
and  the  following  for  the  friction  surface,  which  has  been  pre- 
viously made  rough  by  a  coating  of  glue  and  sand : 
Amorphous  phosphorus    .       .       10  parts. 
Sulphide  of  anatomy  or 
peroxide  of  manganese        .  8  " 
Glue  .  .  .  .  .  3  to  6  « 
By  this  method  the  danger  of  fires  arising  from  ignition  of 
the  matches  by  friction  is  avoided  (because  the  matches  will 
ignite  by  rubbing  upon  no  other  surface  besides  the  prepared 
one) ;  and  that  of  poisoning  is  totally  prevented  by  using  the 
red  or  innocuous  variety  of  phosphorus. 
There  is  scarcely  any  manufacture  of  which  the  statistics  ap- 
pear more  fabulous  than  that  of  match-making.  To  begin  with 
England,  in  which  the  manufacture  is  comparatively  small. 
The  firm  of  Messrs.  Dixon,  Newton  Heath,  employ  about  300 
workpeople  on  the  premises,  and  upwards  of  100  at  their  own 
homes.  Their  stock  of  timber  is  generally  of  the  value  of  about 
8000?.  or  10,000Z.  They  consume  1  ton  of  sulphur  per  week, 
in  the  sulphuring  of  splints  ;  and  in  twelve  months  they  use 
between  4  and  5  tons  of  chlorate  of  potash,  and  12  tons  of  glue. 
They  produce  about  43,000,000  of  matches  every  week,  or 
2,160,000,000  matches  yearly  ;  reckoning  the  length  of  a  match 
16 
