Remarks on the examination and classification of cases of colour-blindness / by George A. Berry.

  • Berry, George Andreas, 1853-
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on the examination and classification of cases of colour-blindness / by George A. Berry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    - ? > ; JAM .'§£§ EXAMINATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF CASES OF COLOUR-BLINDNESS. Since the publication of Holmgren’s excellent work on colour- blindness,1 a great deal of attention has been paid, not only in Sweden, but also in most European countries and America, to this curious physiological anomaly. The comparative frequency of defects of colour-vision has directed attention to the possible dangers which might result from the employment in our railways and mercantile fleet of individuals unable to distinguish with normal certainty between the colours universally used as signals, viz., red and green. Although we cannot but think that accidents directly traceable to mistakes arising from colour-blindness must be of extremely rare occurrence, and that the possible dangers have been consider- ably exaggerated, still we have little doubt that our Government will sooner or later follow the example of others, and demand a systematic examination of the colour-vision of all persons entering such services. This examination will no doubt, to some extent at least, have to be conducted by medical men, and it is on this account that we feel justified in publishing our views as to the nature of colour-blindness in a journal devoted more especially to papers on practical medicine and surgery, rather than in one of the physiological journals, for which they might otherwise be more suitable. After having recognised the possible dangers above referred to in connexion with colour-blindness, it naturally became of the utmost importance to discover a means whereby any trace of this anomaly could be speedily detected. Holmgren has undoubtedly the merit of being the first to devise and employ a method which has shown itself to be thoroughly practical and expeditious. For the benefit of those of our readers who may not yet be acquainted with this method, it may be as well, in as few words as possible, to describe it. It is a well-known fact that a high degree of achro- O O 1 Om Fargblindheten i dess forliaallande till Jernvdgstrafiken och Sjovcisendct. Upsala, 1S77.