194 COLOR-BLINDNESS IN ITS RELATION TO 



simple reason, and that it is impossible to draw any positive conclusion 

 with regard to his chromatic sense. The examiner may in such a case 

 mention unconditionally in the certificate that the one examined refused 

 to submit to the usual examination. 



It is not difficult to say how it is necessary to act with regard to such 

 persons. It should, in fact, be to the interest of each one possessing 

 normal sight, desirous of entering the service of railways, etc., to en- 

 deavor to be competent in every respect, and consequently to give mani- 

 fest proof of his sense of colors. The color-blind alone have any interest 

 in concealing their defect ; therefore he endeavors to escape the trial. 

 Every candidate who will try to avoid the prescribed trial must there- 

 fore be considered and treated as color-blind. Such obstinacy on the 

 part of an employ 6 must be considered and treated as an infraction of 

 the regulations. 



But cases may arise also in which those possessing normal sight will 

 feign color-blindness, and act as if they were so affected. This may occur 

 when some one wishes to receive a pension before the time, or else to 

 escape punishment consequent upon an unexpected accident. These 

 are just the very cases that put the method and perspicacity of the 

 examiner to the test. The examination then assumes the character 

 of a kind of criminal inquest, where the judge and the accused must 

 give all the attention of which they are capable to their reciprocal acts 

 and expressions, to try to entrap each other. The one examined tries to 

 prove that he is color-blind, while the examiner endeavors to prove that 

 he has normal sight. The prospect of coming off victorious in so singu- 

 lar a contest rests, in the last resort, with him who best understands the 

 nature of color-blindness, and has most experience in the manner in 

 which the color-blind act. To enable the pretender to deceive the ex- 

 aminer, it is absolutely necessary that he surpass the latter in knowl- 

 edge of color-blindness. There is in this an element of success to the 

 examiner, as it would be extremely rare to find a railway employ6 or 

 sailor who would, under the circumstances mentioned, be subjected to 

 an examination by a person inferior to himself in knowledge. It is clear, 

 in fact, that an examination so difficult, so minute, and involving so 

 much responsibility, should be confided to the most competent person 

 possible. But it is, on the other hand, very improbable that a case 

 should occur where it would be necessary that a learned and experienced 

 specialist would have to submit to an examination. 



In the first place, examinations of this kind must rarely occur, and 

 when they do, it must be at least in the most difficult cases, that is to say, 

 after an accident — under circumstances where the one examined has not 

 had much time to study his part. It will generally be seen then that he 

 has not a profound knowledge of the nature of color-blindness, but 

 imagines it to be a difficulty or incapacity to distinguish signal-colors or 

 colors in general. He will, therefore, be governed by this idea, and, 

 either he will perfectly distinguish every other color so as to mistake only 

 the signal-colors, or else he will believe he must confound no matter what 



