Early in the history of matchsticks, factory workers in London were plagued by a gruesome and debilitating illness: their jaw bones would glow green in the dark and eventually crumble apart. It was discovered that a chemical interaction was occurring between the combustible white phosphorus used in match heads, and the mineral comprising their own skeletons. This is a story about consumer convenience, occupational hazards, and some of the worst bosses in history.
","author_name":"The Bone Lab"}