first to temporary nystagmus and then to a permanent disability. Mild nystagmus would self-correct if a miner ceased to perform this work, but if left untreated would force a man to give up mining. The lower levels of light emitted by safety lamps caused an increase in the incidence of nystagmus.

First attempts at safe lamps

In Europe and Britain dried fish skins which emitted a faint bioluminescence (often called phosphorescence) were used.

Flint and steel mills introduced by

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