The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-24

caase with eTec- fhat 70 he 7we~aga az
fn4n they are what Byron characfe-szas
tke po4azsfcR % Fustap physicians rsaraesv
80 very deep and sensab.e the. ara Quite
/ tnceEsl TTenenstbie.' yet 20 Gre wffh 4 fair
F sense q TIRE humorous and Fustc-ous ara
le1sErx Tor n@rEszi. tbs tarenrea pfW
Nyes illusions are sa11sr4nz beside than
asr % 5nsz Is aedsa tre intense ard as~
rGTlea gravity with which tha authors
regard Themselves and their aanzboyant
aesar13fsess the whole = 40 exrrurfatfnxfy
'1nny that II ~ any dexscs re urcrla
could Be Induced 20 read the torres. they
woH11 prove frreslsfibiv provocative Of nj
laritY among the ratIons
Before proceeding further. I beg your
ineaigenee for tew words ~ a personal
nafaFe--a confession Many % my friends
nave often expressed sgrpr9@. AZ nv
wasting much tine with ere lesx,ge
Ay excuse has been-duil times ard con-
seguenf leisure. foudneSS for arr and a
cessre that Seattle should have snsrstftu-
ton worthy Of her commercial ard mari
time importance and her unsurpassed
scenic environment But there has al
Ways beer = scientific attraction OF equal
u not q greater force tran airy os these.
Although the sub5eet Of many lectures
ami almost daily talks during the sfx
years Or more II my connection with the
ela am new leagues. my purpose has
never been disclosed and pexharss might
@a-tae
that not only has complete aeuonxtra-
ton attended my efforts but am soon
70 sever my connection with the league
20 so abroad.
skspticism being ~ science a virtue
rot vice. as In reiizion-ana the world
being IS eager IN pursuit OF virtue Gin
mat shspst as Apollo was OF DAPHNE
pecially the scientific worid-one natural
w sarinks from confronting the rush IN
prepared wherefore publicity has not
been sought for these views excepting
an occasional intimation which might
prompt Inquiry by thoughtful minds into
an important question thus far overlooked
among the monentous issues closing the
century. like succession az thrilling In
ctdents alf renting as they approach the
stupsndu1ls finale and glorious climax
Among the members OF the league have
been enc oled 20 prosecute investigation
under most suspicious circumstances. en-
Joying excellent opportunities for con
slant demonstration Of the correctness %
my theory. and think every member and
many outside friends are convinced OF the
facts and conclusions reached though
few. any, suspected me Of pursuing a
line Of original Investigation In an unex-
plored field So far from questioning my
views, all have appeared to accept them
as quite natural and self-evident. But
artists are not scientists. and they usually
care az little about science as scientists
DO about religion.
Color blindness was brought home to
IA years ago In startling manner Wrecks
Of railroad trains with consequent loss
Of life, led 20 Investigations which proved
that there were engineers and other train
men who could not distinguish the colors
used In signaling. Rigid examination Of
applicants prevents men so afflicted from
obtaining such employment now. Medical
science in seeking the cause. hit upon the
hypothesis that Tn achroma topsia tcoIor-
hilndnessl as In fnyopia and hyperopia
near and farsightednessl. the mechanism
OF the eve was faulty. While using all
these bad words / hope 10 be pardoned
Tor coming one 70 match. "a is the custom
IN order that those who do not use our
vernacular may have an appropriate term
whose definition Will be apparent 10 them
without reference TO a dictionary. Ide-
typhlia'-form bilBdness-is the word
Natural perhaps. as was the optical de-
fusion Of medical science. Il Is remarkable
that IL has not been dissipated In hun
dred years OF fruitieSa effort Exactly I03
years this month have rolled away since
Dalton promulgated his views. and medi-
cal science cannot tell US anything more
about IL today than BE did then. AS Lead
Ing physicians and surgeons confess
themselves hafaed in all attempts az re-
ieying the afflietion. this may be deemed
timely anniversary for submitting my
views.
Experience with artists In many lands
convinced me that there Is also a form
blindness. that Is. an inability 10 see the
shape Of things with perfect accuracy.
Obviously II must be related TO color
blindness. yet the eyes in nearly all in
stances we're strong and healthy. Start
lng with the hypothesis that the brain.
and not the eve. was the seat Of the
trouble. I pursued a systematic and con-
slant observation and experiment. now
covering nearly q quarter OF a century.
,ha past year ard a hsH being especially
fruitful Of convincing proofs OF the accur-
aey Of my theory.
IF color blindness originated in the eve.
medical science II OF any value. must
have discovered Il ard be able TO produce
evidence 81 the fact in less than a hun
dred years Investigation by the most
jealous furnishes no proof sna the claim
becomes a mere assumption. II the defect
lle IN TIA brain. tic remedy would natur-
ally be similar to that whereby We re-
store the weakened Intellect or invigorate
the feeble mind This is my contention
and conviction Medical men have had
the remedy AZ hand these many years but
instead Of using g they have acted the
part Of the old lady who searches all ever
tho house for her spectaclcs. which sit.
Ike crown. upon her forehead. ready
"a drop Into place at the first touch. II
is net ut ali 20 the credit Of such learned
and brainv class 81 men that they should
espogSe and cling for a century 50 tena-
ciousiy ard nersistently 20 q hypothesis
entirely barren 81 results
"faiocy means the want % the mental
faculties common 20 mankind II may be
partial thar ~. several % the faculties
may be absent Color and form blindness
I regard as a species % idiocy owing %
thu absence Of the faculties which take
coenlzanre 81 those attributes Of matter.
Color blind however. is commonly af-
hrmea 81 those whose defect IS bar par
tiaI tire person not being able 70 distin-
Tuish between rcd and green. for in
stance though ne may recognize All other
colors-techu}ca}ly. ne IL then called 81
chrornafic. IN Ike manner ~ speak q
mar being deaf Who IL only partially 80
r. is safe. I think. 70 affirm that absolute
conEenttal tdiocy T. incuFahie because
there g. nothing 20 cure We cannot work
upon nothing There may exist a couai-
ton Of faculty - rudimentary Sc not -
BE araeua bic 20 treatment. such cases in
form and color-bliudness are exceedingly
rare-I have met hut few outside % asy-
huns There may be keen appreciation
az form entirely independent 81 the eve.
We see this in the totally hind. who read
liz learn tse raised alphabet ana the
shapes - other things through the sense
81 feeling. bat TIE degree q SsnSftiy~oess
does ret uerrSssT ily determine a corrc-
erasad4n1 perception of form A blind mt
stefan may bc exQUisftely sensitive IN feel
frge fha almost invariably fs1 yet he N Eht