Daily AncestorPhossy jaw
Phossy jaw was rotting of the jawbone in match factory workers from white phosphorus fumes, common in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Its formal name was phosphorus necrosis of the jaw. White phosphorus vapor destroyed the bones of the jaw, and it was first diagnosed in 1839 in Vienna in a woman who made matches.
In the United States, John B. Andrews of the American Association for Labor Legislation began investigating in 1909 and found more than 100 cases. The United States moved against white phosphorus matches before India and Japan banned them in 1919.
As seen in a recordCause of death line, state death certificate, 1910s to 1930s
Bridget Hanley, 26, F, W, Match maker, Phosphorus necrosis of jaw
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Daily Ancestor. "Phossy jaw." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/phossy-jaw. Last checked 2026-10-10.