Phosphorous is a commonly-used industrial chemical, and excessive
exposure -- especially through inhalation -- can be debilitating, even
deadly. Hence, the term "phosphorous poisoning".
An historical account of such poisoning can be found at this British
historical site:
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/politics/whiteslavery/source4/source4_transcript.htm
Text transcript of an article from the Daily Chronicle of 2 June 1898
describing a case of 'phossy jaw'
"Phosphorous poisoning is one of the most terrible and painful
diseases to which the workers are subject. It arises from the
inhalation of the fumes of yellow phosphorous used in the
manufacturing of matches. The Home Office has laid down stringent
special rules for the guidance of factories where this is used, one of
the most important of which is that every case shall be at once
reported to the district Inspector of factories and to the certifying
surgeon. Last month a surgeon named Cornelius Lean, who had been
working at Bryant and May's died. An inquest was held and it was found
that the death was due to phosphorus poisoning. This led to inquiries
being made, and it was discovered that no less than seventeen cases
had occurred, none of which had been reported. This led to the Home
Office taking proceedings."
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A more modern reference can be found on an industrial MSDS -- Material
Safety Data Sheet -- for phosphorous, required for worker safety
purposes:
http://business.fortunecity.com/rowling/167/P_MSDS.html
"Chronic ingestion or inhalation may induce systemic phosphorous
poisoning. Liver damage, kidney damage, jaw/tooth abnormalities, blood
disorders and cardiovascular effects can result."
I hope this is the information you need. If anything is not clear, or
requires elaboration, please let me know through a Request for
Clarification, and I'll be happy to assist you further. |
Request for Answer Clarification by
1poacher03-ga
on
04 May 2003 10:08 PDT
Your answer was fine with the limited criteria offered. This was in
SE Iowa-
small town, limited manufacturing, but there were cigar factories
there and perhaps match factories. Because of her age, 16, were there
instances then of deliberate ingestion in small quantities for medical
"home remedies" gone wrong. That is why I mentioned lye/pickling
although in error?
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Clarification of Answer by
pafalafa-ga
on
04 May 2003 10:19 PDT
It certainly would not have been unusual for a 16-year old to be doing
dirty, dangerous factory work in the 1880's -- children often worked
the factories at much younger ages. So the poisoning definitely could
have been workplace related.
There were also numerous "medicines" (some legitimate, some pushed by
quacks) that contained phosphorous, including some that were marketed
as aphrodisiacs. So it is also possible that over-exposure could have
occured outside the workplace.
If you can add any details at all about what you know of the incident
(for starters, I'm curious as to how it came to your attention), I
might be able to offer some additional perspective.
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Clarification of Answer by
pafalafa-ga
on
04 May 2003 10:20 PDT
P.S. As far as I know, phosphorous isn't an ingredient in lye or used
in pickling -- have you heard anything that leads you to believe
otherwise?
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Request for Answer Clarification by
1poacher03-ga
on
04 May 2003 11:41 PDT
I wish I had more info. In a list of deaths for Van Buren County, IA
this person was listed, age, date of death, and reason "phosphorus
poisoning". Nothing else. I connect phosphorus with cleanin
chemicals, ie then, lye and I have seen references to lye pickles.
This was an ancestor, initially I thought it might be self induced,
then after I submitted question, I also found reference to matches,
but also something about people using it for home remedy. Now I am
cuious, and wanted another perpestive on this. People were poor,
brothers worked in cigar factories but would not have had any more
child labor circumstances than the median of that area. Also noted
volitility and unstable properties and wondered about home accident.
What are your thoughts?
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Clarification of Answer by
pafalafa-ga
on
04 May 2003 13:21 PDT
Virtually all the references to phosphorus poisoning that I'm finding
only mention industrial settings, usually match factories.
You might want to take a look at these two links, which give more of a
history of phosphorous and its health effects:
http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/bookmarks/bk02/082913.htm
The 13th Element
"You may recall from high school chemistry your teacher removing a
piece of phosphorus from its oil bath only to have it burst into
flame. In his interesting account, The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale
of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus, John Emsley describes the history of
that element and the tale is indeed sordid."
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http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/105/
The Poisonous Occupations in Illinois:
Physician Alice Hamilton Explores the Dangerous Trades at the Turn of
the Century
Nineteenth-century laborers faced a variety of work-related ailments:
from rheumatism and pneumonia to lead palsy and carbon monoxide
poisoning. Yet governments rarely regulated workplace conditions and
the United States lagged far behind industrialized European nations in
such regulation. In the Progressive era, however, a movement to
regulate dangerous industrial working conditions arose, and one of its
most prominent leaders was a physician named Alice Hamilton. In this
selection from her 1943 autobiography, Hamilton described her
residency at Jane Addams’s Hull House in the late 1890s and her
participation in the Illinois Occupational Disease Commission.
----------
I'm going to check a reference document on Monday when I'm back in my
office that might have more info -- if anything pops up on home uses,
etc., I'll post it here.
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Clarification of Answer by
pafalafa-ga
on
05 May 2003 06:24 PDT
One more little tidbit.
According to this fact sheet on the dangers of phosphorus, there have
been non-industrial cases of poisonings from people eating rat poison
or fireworks:
How can white phosphorus affect my health?
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts103.html
"Little information is available about the health effects that may be
caused by white phosphorus. Most of what is known about the effects of
breathing white phosphorus is from studies of workers. Most of what is
known about the effects of eating white phosphorus is from reports of
people eating rat poison or fireworks that contained it."
Hope that helps.
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