Phossy jaw, formally known as phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, was an occupational disease affecting those who worked with white phosphorus (also known as yellow phosphorus) without proper safeguards. It is also likely to occur as the result of use of chemical weapons that contain white phosphorus. It was most commonly seen in workers in the matchstick industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries.[1] It was caused by white phosphorus vapor, which destroys the bones of the jaw. Modern occupational hygiene practices have since eliminated the working conditions that caused this disease.[1]
- ^ a b Hughes, J. P; Baron, R; Buckland, D. H; Cooke, M. A; Craig, J. D; Duffield, D. P; Grosart, A. W; Parkes, P. W; Porter, A (1962). "Phosphorus Necrosis of the Jaw: A Present-Day Study: With Clinical and Biochemical Studies". British Journal of Industrial Medicine. 19 (2): 83–99. doi:10.1136/oem.19.2.83. JSTOR 27721724. PMC 1038164. PMID 14449812.