DAVY, Sir Humphry.

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On the Safety Lamp for Preventing Explosions in Mines, First edition, John Davy's copy, in a splendid red morocco binding most likely for presentation to him from his brother, the author.Humphry Davy, President of the Royal Society, produced his safety lamp in 1815 in response to a series of explosions in coal mines due to pockets of gas. The lamp was cheap to produce and became, with some modifications, integral to the mining industry. This book was the first full description of the lamp, and gives an account of his research into flame, "in which he concluded that luminosity is due to the presence of solid particles" (Norman). This is the second issue. The work was first issued in 1818 under the title On the Safety Lamp for Coal Miners and was reissued here with a new title page, preface, and appendix.John Davy (1790-1868) made significant contributions to chemistry, including the discovery of phosgene and silicon tetrafluoride. He aided his brother in his work and published his collected works following his death.

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