COLOR-BLINDNESS AMONG RAILROAD EMPLOYES. 795 



submitted to me, and the color-blind men sent to my office for final 

 action. Mr. Pugb, General Manager, stated, in September, 1884, that 

 tbere were thus detected four per cent of men color-blind, and ten per 

 cent of men deficient in acuteness of vision, and tbat, although it was 

 very difficult- to keep accurate notes of all examinations, he was satisfied 

 that all dangerous persons had been removed up to tbat date, when over 

 twelve thousand employes had been submitted to the system. 



The statistics obtained upon the two thousand men were used as 

 the standard by all the Division Superintendents, and, however difficult 

 it might be to report to the central office the full details of their ex- 

 aminations, they were always controlled by these known and accepted 

 ratios. It has not been found requisite to send all men deficient to the 

 opbthalmological expert, since they did not demand it, but submitted 

 to the changes rendered necessary without opposition ; hence, I am un- 

 able to furnish exact reports of the examinations made at remote por- 

 tions of the road. Most of the color-blind men have passed under my 

 hands, as well as many cases of astigmatism, optical defects, and dis- 

 eases or injuries reducing the sight below the standard, and the results 

 may some time be found worthy of publication. 



An opportunity to present the last opinions of the officers of the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad has been afforded by a request which was made 

 by tbe German Government, through its Minister, to the Surgeon-Gen- 

 eral of the United States Army, for statistical and other information 

 on the subject, and this letter, referred to me by the Surgeon-General, 

 has been answered by Mr. Pugb, who has kindly made efforts to obtain 

 the figures from the great organization of which he is General Manager. 

 He writes, under date of July 7, 1887, and says : 



" I regret that so long a time has elapsed since the receipt of yours 

 of May 25th, and this reply. The delay has been occasioned by our 

 efforts to obtain some statistical information, which I regret to find 

 has not been kept up as closely as was intended. I inclose herewith 

 statements showing the number of employes examined during the past 

 five years, with the results stated. 



" I can only add that we have attained the most satisfactory results 

 from the system, and I think we can confidently claim that sense of 

 security which follows the belief that we have no one employed in any 

 position in which the use of signals is required, whose color-sense and 

 sense of vision will not enable him to accurately determine all signals 

 by which his action is governed." 



Total number examined on lines east of Erie 25,158 



Color-blind 481 



Defective vision 661 . 



Hearing 158 



I am informed that the system has been found so satisfactory that 

 it has been extended to the lines west of Pittsburg, and no doubt is 

 now in use throughout all the lines controlled by the Pennsylvania 



