An Investigation into the Nature of Black Phthisis or Ulceration Induced by Carbonaceous Accumulation in the Lungs of Coal Miners

"An Investigation into the Nature of Black Phthisis" by Archibald Makellar is a medical study from the 1800s that examines a serious lung illness found in coal miners. The study focuses on how breathing in coal dust and other dangerous materials in mines, made worse by bad airflow and explosives, causes 'black phthisis'. This illness brought on symptoms like coughing, a decline in physical health, and the unique symptom of black mucus being coughed up. The writing builds from earlier medical studies to look closely at the reasons, signs, and effects of this disease, using real cases to show how it gets worse over time and to emphasize its importance to medicine and the well-being of Scottish coal miners..