In 1839, physician Lorinser of Vienna was introduced to possibly his strangest case. A female matchmaker from Vienna, her jaw rotting away. Having extended some ways back towards the skull, there was not much flesh to hold together the jawline. Not long after that, Lorinser was called to twenty-two more cases of this strange disease in the same area.

In each case, all patients worked in a match factory, responsible for the production of countless matches. Around this time, phosphorus was being introduced to the match-making process. Added to the tips of the match, this meant you could strike these puppies anywhere. Of course, they were in high demand.

Eventually, the women were diagnosed with what is called Phosphorus Necrosis of the Jaw or (phossy jaw) in most circles. If untreated, this unsavory, foul disease would eat away at the jawline with the hunger of an unfed feline. Well, sort of. It would start with a swelling of the jaw that progressively got worse until eventually, your jaw would start to rot away. Without proper amputation of the jaw, the infection can reach up to the brain; and even then, life expectancy is still low.

For years, women were exploited to make match-sticks under brutal conditions; for very little pay. Simply showing up late, or dropping a match-stick would grant you a fine. These factories were authoritarian, and phosphorus jaw was rampant.

The potential to catch the disease is just too great. Eventually, a book was published exposing the harsh conditions these women were had to work in, “White Slavery in London” and the factories were put under pressure to improve their factory’s work conditions. Each employee was even encouraged to sign a paper stating they were happy with their work conditions, in an effort by factory owners to restore the communities faith in them.

A strike was eventually organized by the women against the factories. All work was seized by the women, and the entirety of the workforce refused to work around phosphorus. It took twenty years after that for phosphorus to be declared illegal in the use of match-making. Though the substance is legal now, and we have the proper equipment/procedures curated for handling phosphorus.