Coal miners' nystagmus

Abstract

While Nystagmus cannot be said to endanger life directly, the perplexing feature about it is that it leads to diminished capacity for work, and occasionally prevents the patient altogether from following his avocation. Another point of note is that this lessened capacity happens at the most useful time of life, and entails much suffering in the home and loss to the mining industry as a whole.In spite of the improved conditions referred to there has been a steady increase of cases since first the condition was recognised, and within recent years the increase has been so marked that its socio-economic significance has rendered it a subject, not only of medical, but also of political investigation, and it has now been scheduled under the diseases for which a miner may claim the benefits of the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906 (Secretary of State’s order 22nd May, 1907 - Schedule iii).It is in this connection that I have come primarily into contact with cases of this disease, both in the West and the East of Scotland Coalfields, and the notes which I have made during those years form the basis of this Thesis on Coal Miners’ Nystagmus.