H-G2 



VISION. 



The characteristic of Hyperchromatopay is 

 that of attaching colours not merely to objects 

 which, according to ordinary vision, possess 

 them, hut also to other objects which have no 

 pretensions to them, and this to an extent 

 scarcely credible. 



It does not appear that the same colours 

 always attach to the same objects with different 

 individuals ; on this point there is considerable 

 diversity, but as the account published by 

 Dr. Sachs of his own perceptions is the most 

 minute which has appeared, we shall take it 

 as the ground of the following description : 



The objects to which colours especially 

 connect themselves in this condition of vision 

 are, figures, dates, the days of the week, the 

 letters of the alphabet, and musical notes. 

 These colours are not all equally distinct : 

 the clearest are yellow, different shades of 

 pure white and blueish white ; the less clear 

 are orange, red, dull white, dark blue, brown 

 and green. Black only attaches itself to one 

 of the letters of the alphabet. This morbid 

 sensibility to colours thus displays itself: 

 A and E are red, but the first has more of the 

 vermillion tint, the second most of the rose. 

 I is white, O orange, U black, and is the only 

 example of black ; UE or U is white, so is 

 M and N. C is of a pale ash colour. D is 

 yellow. F of a dull white. H a blueish ash 

 colour. K approaches deep green. S is of 

 deep blue, and W is brown. 



Musical notes indicated by the names of 



the letters ^ ,^, ^ et caetera, present gene- 

 rally the same colours as these ; however 

 whilst in the alphabet, B and G appear almost 

 colourless, the Si flat appears of an ash grey, 

 and the Sol of an uncertain green. 



Of figures, is almost transparent, of a 

 pale and uncertain yellow, ] of an undecided 

 white, 2 of an uncertain tint, 3 almost ash 

 coloured, 4 minium red, 5 yellow, 6 indigo, 7 

 blueish white, 8 brown, 9 almost deep green. 

 The numbers composed of several figures 

 take the colours of the last forming them. 

 does not change the colours of the figures to 

 which it is joined, but gives to them a certain 

 appearance, whilst a figure often repeated in 

 the same number causes the colour proper to 

 it to increase in intensity. 10, 11, 100, 110 

 and 1 1 1 are white ; the first of them re- 

 sembles white glass, the second is milk-colour, 

 the third semi-transparent white ; the two 

 last perfect white. 14, 24, 40, 44-, 400 and 440 

 are red, but 15, 25, 50, 55, 500, 555 and 1000 

 are yellow; why the 1000 is yellow whilst 100 

 is white we do not understand, as the addi- 

 tional does not account for it 



Sunday, is to the eyes of this conscientious 

 observer, white slightly tinged with yellow. 

 ^Monday, another .shade of white ; the co- 

 lour of Tuesday is obscure and undecided. 

 Wednesday is yellow ; Thursday is of a 

 yellowish green, verging towards orange. 

 Friday of a dull white, and Saturday is of a 

 blueish ash colour. 



It is stated that the abnormal sensations 

 of colour are so intimately connected with 



these objects, that some can only he seen 

 without them by a strong mental effort, and 

 that in the case of others this does not 

 suffice. 



In the present state of our knowledge we 

 are not in a position to offer any satisfactory 

 explanation of this singular anomaly of vision. 

 That its seat is not in the eye but in the 

 sensorium is however most probable, and in 

 this opinion Dr. Wartmann concurs. More 

 extended opportunities for observations will 

 doubtless throw additional light on what must 

 be regarded as a very curious subject. 



Anorthopia (a, not; bpGbs, straight ; fyis, vi- 

 sion). This is a condition of vision far from 

 uncommon, and is characterised by the in- 

 dividuals subject to it being unable to discern 

 when objects are not parallel one to the other, 

 and is often accompanied by a want of ability 

 to distinguish whether objects are symme- 

 trical. Such persons are incapable of drawing 

 objects correctly ; a house will be sketched 

 with its proportions wrong and leaning on 

 one side, and a figure will be equally unna- 

 tural, yet the artist wi 1 be sublimely un- 

 conscious of any defects. They are unable 

 to discern whether pictures are straight on 

 the walls, or blinds drawn parallel with the 

 window frame ; Negroes are very subject 

 to this peculiarity of vision. Nothing is 

 more common than to see them, when mark- 

 ing out the ground-plan of a house, path, 

 or boundary wall, draw the lines as awry as 

 possible, and yet persist that they are quite 

 straight, nor can they be convinced to the 

 contrary. It has appeared to us that the 

 persons in whom this condition of vision 

 existed in a marked degree, were charac- 

 terised by unsymmetrical heads and faces, but 

 this may have been a coincidence merely. 



In children who show evidences of anor- 

 thopia, pains should be taken to overcome it 

 by practice and tuition. They should write 

 upon ruled paper at first, and when subse- 

 quently writing on ordinary paper, should 

 always be made to place it straight before 

 them and to write across it by the hand 

 moving on the wrist which should be a fixed 

 point, and seldom moved. In drawing, the 

 correctness of the lines should be ascer- 

 tained by admeasurement ; and the study of 

 geometry, perspective, and all other branches 

 requiring attention to symmetry are calculated 

 to be of service. 



Myopia (MUW, I shut ; &J/, the eye), commonly 

 called near sight, is an affection almost, if not 

 entirely, confined to civilization. 



Every eye, when in a state of repose, is 

 adapted by its size, figure, and the refrac- 

 tive powers of its media, to the formation of 

 a distinct image of an object presented before 

 it, at one particular distance. This differs in 

 different individuals; but from 12 to 20 inches 

 may be regarded as the distance at which 

 ordinary print is legible, the shortest distance 

 at which it can be seen clearly and without 

 exertion being from 6 to 8 inches. A person 

 who brings small objects nearer to the eyes 

 thiin 6 inches is considered myopic. 







