Phosphornecrosis
Ph
osphornecrosis
is an acute or chronic phosphorus poisoning.
The acute poisoning occurs when the phosphor is received in the
stomach , either because of an failure or in the context of a
crime.
In the mid 1800's it is known that there have been some
poisoning murders or attempts where phosphorus has been used as
poisoning agent, either by use of rat powder containing
phosphorus or by peeling of the phosphorus that was on the
matches and dissolved in soup or coffee .
The poisoning occurs rapidly after a few hours, with vomiting
and severe pain in the heart .
The vomit smells strongly of phosphorus and can glow in the dark
.
The intake of phosphorus causes heart paralysis and then death
can quickly occur.
In children , death occurs not as fast as in adults , here it
seems as if poisoning has ended , taking again joins well-being
, but after 2-3 days, arrives poisoning symptoms themselves
again, and then an even stronger degree.
Pain occurs in the heart and there will now be bleeding from the
stomach , intestine , kidney, and almost in the skin and in the
course of 8-14 days , death occurs .
The chronic poisoning manifests itself as the so-called
phosphornecrosis , an inflammation of the jaw where the jaw bone
decay , why the disease at the beginning was also calling
boneeater . The phosphornecrosis
was first known around 1840 , shortly after that the
phosphor was commissioned by the match industry. The phosphorous
vapors and contamination from hands (while licking his fingers )
attacks the oral cavity of factory workers and most easily in
children and young people.
Jawbone exposed and secreted a phosphor -smelling matter.
Jawbone dies slowly away and during the often long suffering
fades patient's forces so much that it is often included death.
Most often , the only cure was to cut away a part of the damaged
jawbone or the whole bone .
With the adoption of the match stick law in 1874 and the ban on
the use of the yellow phosphorus poisoning cases
disappeared.
The match law
1874 (danish)
List of incidents of phosphonecrosis
prepared for the work with the law (danish)
Description of the situation at A. Sørensens
match factory (the anonymous letter)
Match workers with phosphonecrosis
