Summary
In the late 19th century, a young girl in Manchester faces a grim reality in a doctor's office, revealing symptoms of a devastating condition known as Fosse Jaw. This disease, linked to the use of white phosphorus in match production, causes severe necrosis of the jawbone, often leading to disfigurement and social ostracism. The doctor suspects syphilis, a common misdiagnosis of the time, but soon realizes the girl's occupation as a match dipper exposes her to toxic fumes that poison her bone.
The episode delves into the historical context of Fosse Jaw, detailing how the introduction of white phosphorus in match manufacturing led to widespread health issues among workers, particularly women and children. Reports from the mid-1800s highlight the alarming number of cases, with doctors recognizing the link between the disease and the hazardous working conditions in match factories. Despite the known risks, the use of white phosphorus persisted for decades due to its cost-effectiveness and the demand for easily ignitable matches.
The narrative shifts to the activism of match girls, particularly the significant strike at Bryant and May's factory in London in 1888, which brought attention to the dire working conditions and ultimately led to improvements. However, it wasn't until 1910 that the British Parliament enacted a ban on white phosphorus matches, prompted by international pressure and mounting evidence of the health crisis. The episode concludes with a reflection on the legacy of Fosse Jaw and the resurgence of similar conditions in modern medicine, reminding listeners of the historical struggles faced by those who worked in hazardous industries.
Show Notes
Content warning: this episode includes graphic descriptions of disease, disfigurement and surgery, harm to children, child labour and human remains. Please take care while listening. It began with toothache. Then the gums ulcerated, the teeth fell out, and the jawbone underneath began to die. This was phossy jaw, the industrial disease of Victorian England’s match factories. It was caused by the white phosphorus that made 'strike-anywhere' matches cheap, and it left young match girls disfigured, shunned, and sometimes without a lower jaw at all. Doctors named it in 1839. Manchester surgeons were documenting cases by the 1850s. So why did it take until 1910 for Britain to ban the poison? Who knew, who profited, and who covered it up? From Stockton-on-Tees to Manchester, North Shields to the match works of Bootle and Liverpool, this is the dark, forgotten Northern history behind the humble match.
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**** About the show About the show Bad, Mad & Northern is a history and true crime podcast about the villains, eccentrics and extraordinary stories of the North: murderers and body snatchers, kings and rebels, drowned villages and Cold War secrets. Released very Wednesday and Saturday, each new episode is carefully researched and told with honesty about the sources, and a healthy dose of northern sarcasm.
Meet your host I'm Lucy Sheridan: author, speaker, and proud northerner, recording from an armchair in the Peak District. I've always been drawn to the darker corners of our history, and this show is where I get to share them with you. Pull up a chair. ****
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