Episode 8 - Phossy Jaw

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.

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