The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-06
Color Blindness.

JOhu D3ilOll, I'LL IIuSliSh I'll. .h''S1 ~
Intes that, when boy he went To see u
review of troops, and was quite sur
prised at hearing bis companions speak
admiringly Of the red coats OF the sol
diers, and the purple sashes OF the OIL
GERS, when he could not discover any
difference between the color ol tneir
coats and grass i'm the field. his IN
uuiry of his comrades as to what dlfier-
encc they could sec was received with
so much laughter and ridicule that he
WAS led TO believe that there was some
thing pec,Iliar about his own yislon.-
Subsequent observations revealed 10
him that he could not distinguish PINK
from blue, and i'm the solar spectrum he
could scarcely discern the red, 1t ap-
peariur to consist of two colors, yellow
and blue. He afterward, about l19S,
mIbljshed an account of his case, which
attracted much attention, and led TO
further investigation. Ii was soon
found that many persons were similar
Iy affected, i'm q greater or less deprcc.
Ibe affection was called Daltonism,
ard those suffering from il were called
Daltonians.
The subject has latierly been very
thoroughly studied, and IT has been
found 10 he very common defect ot
vision. though, unless existing III a
marked degree, il docs not always at
tract attention. Dalton was informed
of nearly twenty persons With Vision
like his own; and out of twenty-five
mmils he once had, To whom he cX-
plaiped the subject, t,1o were found
color-blind, and, OH another similar Oc-
,;asiop. one. Provost was oil The opln-
ion that of every twenty men assem-
bled by chance. one would be found
c,lor-blind. Wilson made extensive
inuuirics, AMI found an average OF one
persou i'm seventeen affected. In an
Examination Of | ,I5i persons, IL appear
ed that one in lifty-fiyc conloilnded
red with green; one i'll sixty brown
with green; and one in forty-SlN blue
with green. The defect IL much more
(rc,,Ieut in males than females. Dis
tinruished men like Dugald Stewart,
Sjsmopdi, and Others, have exhibited
This singular popularity of vision.
The mistakes which eolor-blind per-
sons make ap often ludicrous. y
member of the society of Friends pur-
chased for himself a bottle-grcen coat,
intending to select brown color, and
for his wife a scarlet merlno dress lor a
lark one. y minister of the same 90
cicry selected u scarlet cloth as the ma
ierlai for Il new coat. 1T has been al
legged that many of the followers oi
George Fox were color-blind- n JOUR-
ucyman tailor was promoted 10 thc po-
eition of foreman, where he had To
match colors, and was soon involved
in difficulty. The scarlet back Of lir-
cry waistcoat was provided with green
strings 10 match; II ruddy brown was
nut side by side with dark green;
IN General, he conlorlndcd reds and
browns, and crimson and blue. An
artist PAINTED Il brown horse BLUSH
-rcu, and roses blue. a farmer could
not distinguish rcd apples from the sur
rounding leaves, except 10y their shape.
An cngravcr found this defect OF vision
useful. He says: When j look at a
picture, ] see il only in white and
hlaci1, or light and shade; and any
want of harmony in the colorin; of a
picture is immediately made manifest
by corresponding discord IL arrange
mcnt of its light aud shade, or, as ar
lists term il, the C6ocf."
Color-blindness may be congcDital
from birth or il may bc acquired
When congcnital, it is generally her
clitary, and may often DC traced
through Il number of generations
Like other hereditary pcculiarities, it
frequently passes over one or two gen
crations, and then appears in all its i'll
iensity. 1t is FAR more often noticed
i'm fllc male than in the female mcm-
bcrs of family.
The causes of this defect Of vision arc
not well understood. When congcni-
taI, it is supposed to I've due 10 "A defect
i'm the organization of the brain, at the
poiut where Is located the scnse of
sight. Phrenologists assert that the
organ of color is located Immediately
above the middle of the eyebrow, and
they claim to lind at this point IN the
color.blind marked depression. IL Il
said that NJ. Ransome, who Is DO phrc-
uologist, states, as a fact noticed III the
dissection Of Dalton, 'ttliat there was a
marked deficiency i'm the conTolutIolS
nf the brain over the orbitar-platcs,
which WAS assigned to the organ of col
or." When the disease is acquired, II
depends upon some temporary disturb
ance of the system affecting the circii-
lation.
When couyeuitaI, The defect is ire
rarilblc, and persons suffering from il
must adapt their lives 10 this pcculiari-
Nv of their vision. In accidental casts,
restoration follows the employment OF
llIc proper corrcctivcs.
Bishop Clark once met female par
i,houcr ON the street whom hc had not
socn for several weeks. His cordial
erecting was met by fririd reserve ON
her part. He cnquircd the cause. She
replied 81 have been sick for three
weeks. ana you did not visit mc once"
Indeed" replied the bishop: \
an, sorry to hear that. Were you sick
enough TO have physieian?n Ger
tainIy ne came every day" How did
ne know YOU were sick" | sent for
him, sir" was her reply. T" True, am,
wcrcd the Bishop; and If You htd
sent for me, | would have come too.
y COW was killed the other day near
Troy, n y, 10y swallowing four dozen
~hingic nails, which were among the
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