In what respect were "Swedish matchsticks" superior to their precursors?

star_gazer

Before the safety match was invented, matches were dangerous for the workers in the factory because the use of the very poisonous white/yellow phosphorus that the workers were inhaling, in particular those who worked with the application on the sticks. After some years of exposure they could get infected from the poisonous phosphorus and get a disease called "Phossy jaw" and could lose their teeth. This disease was very deadly. When the cause for the disease was discovered, the ventilation in the production process was improved, but the dangerous type of phosphorus were soon forbidden to use for matches. The safety match used the non-poisonous red phosphorus that was placed on the striking surface, not the match itself. The reason they were called "safety matches" was because they would only ignite on the striking surface on the box, nowhere else would the match ignite. The safety match patent included the combination of using red phosphorus and separating it from the stick. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edvard_Lundstr%C3%B6m Oct 31 11, 5:37 PM