The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-06
COLOR BLINDNESS.
Accidents on the Ocean Resulting
from Defective Vision of Mariners.

the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal
in its last issue has timely article on ''Pro-
lection from Defective Vision Accidents on
the Ocean, in which the report "On Exam
nations for Color Blindness" of the assis-
tant secretary of the marine department to
to the British Board of Trade is criticised at
some length. The article opens with the
following quotation from the British Medi-
cal Journal on the same report: "To illus
trate these defects, we may point out that
the examiners are mainly retired ship cap
tains, and that the candidate is told to name.
at three feet distance, colored card or glass
OF about the size of the hand: whereas at
sea it may involve fatal consequences if he
fail to recognize, at a mile distance, colored
light which itself is not much larger More
over. we may mention that four of the can
didates who called the green card or glass
red subsequently passed the examination
successfully, course of events simply i'm
possible to such candidates of fair and intel
ligently conducted examination. Till these
defects are remedied, we cannot agree with
the paragraph which winds up the report.
that if in future any accident arise from col
or blindness on the part of any sailor ON
board any ship it cannot be laid to the door
Of the board of trade"
Upon this the Medic al and Surgical Journ-
al comments as follows; "The returns from
the board of trade to an order of the house
of commons of August 5, 1879, giving the re-
suits OF only 80 cases of defective color sense
found IN two years, 10 of whom subsequent
" passed. was naturally the subject of scien-
tlfic ridicule, as have been the Instructions
n IA 4
1880. Since then the marine department has
had the benefit of the published government
reports srom this and other countries. as they
state. They also have had before them the
resolutions on this subject of defective vision
adopted by the international medical con-
gress Of London, 1881. From the transactions
OF the Ophthalmological Society of the Unit
ed Kingdom and the published articles of
those members who have interested them
selves for control it is certain that the
marine department of the board of trade has
had the subject properly and thoroughly
pressed upon it, notwithstanding which It
makes this extraordinary report of February
1885, criticised as above by the British Medf-
cal journal Thanks TO the exertions of a
few experts In this country no such report
has emanated from any of the departments
OF our general government. 1t would cost
the author his position. This report insists
on the sufflclency of asking a person the
names of colored objects, cards or pieces of
glass, and even that by retired sea captains
The article then proceeds to outline the
methods of the examiners, and besides ex-
posing the ignorance displayed, adds: There
crops out the same determined prejudice
against employing proper expert ex-
amlners as our communities have
had to contend with here It then
continues: I'm view of the very practical
and very simple methods and the low stan
dards recommended by the international
medical congress and the ophthalmological
section of the British Medical Society, it is
an insult to the medical experts who have
urged a control which the board of trade adj
mlts, and the civil lord of the admiralty Sir
Thomas Brassy, proves, is made necessary
by shipwreck or collision in every four
hours around England's coast The commu-
nifty demands that the color-blind shall be
eliminated from posts of danger. Men of
knowledge show that this cannot be done ex-
cept by proper tests in expert hands. There
certainly has been no better argument print
ed proving the need Of the international com
mission to disseminate knowledge of the
real facts, and agree as to requirements reg
ulatlng it, than this last board of trade re-
port We are glad to see that those urging
our government to initiate such commission
are still active" After quoting the recent
vote of the American OpthalmOlogical So
ciety in favor of placing proper specialists
upon the examining commission the article
concludes: "The horrors of the sea are
enough, without the unnecessary addition of
the chances from mistaking other vessels
lights, or not seeing the storm signals, not |
noticing marks, buoys, lighthouses ETC. We |
wish those striving for control godspeed in |
their efforts"