154 EEYIEWS — EESEAECHES ON COLOUE-BLINDNESS. 



however glaring may be their merely sensuous appreciation of it ; 

 the implication contained in the above passage of our Edinburgh 

 philosopher would seem equally to run counter to the general opinion 

 which assigns to woman a small organ of secret ivencss. 



Whether one class of the population is more liable to colour-blind- 

 ness than another, or whether such a peculiarity may not extend to 

 even a national distinction, there are not sufficient data to determine, 

 but the following extract is an acute and happy generalisation. 



" It is worth a moment's consideration how far this peculiarity of vision char- 

 acterises one race of men more than another. It is, doubtless, more common 

 among the civilised nations, large numbers of -whom are doomed, by tbat division 

 of labour, which is a great source of their strength, to occupations which dwarf 

 one or more of the external senses, than it is among the uncivilised races, each 

 member of whom cares only to do what is " right in his own eyes," and cultivates 

 the powers of those eyes to the fullest. 



" Among both the civilised and uncivilised nations, however, there are doubtless 

 great differences in original endowment, so far as the sense of colour is concerned ; 

 and, as may be reasonably surmised, there are corresponding differences in the 

 extent to which colour-blindness prevails among them. Thus, those eastern and 

 southern nations, -who live under bright skies, among plants and animals of vivid 

 and brilliant colours, exhibit — partly as a prerogative of race, partly and largely 

 as an effect of such colours daily impressing them — a delight and skill in arranging, 

 matching, and harmonising tints, such as are incompatible with colour-blindness, 

 and imply its rare occurrence in those whose love of colour and command over it 

 are so great. 



" The Chinese, the Japanese, many of the tribes of Hindostan, the Venetians, 

 the Italians, the Spaniards, the Flemings, the inhabitants of Southern France, 

 and some of the northern Teutonic and Celtic tribes have, as florists, painters, 

 dyers, weavers, glass and porcelain makers and stainers, excelled for centuries 

 sister-nations in the management of colours. Among untutored races, the Indians 

 of the American continent, the African tribes, the uncivilised races of Central and 

 Southern Asia, and the inhabitants of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, have shown 

 by their war-paint, their crowns of brilliant flowers, and still more brilliant birds' 

 feathers, their brightly stained skins and parti-coloured dresses, their dedication 

 of the most splendid coloured objects to their gods and their chiefs, besides much 

 else ; that however different their canons of taste may be, they are as passionate 

 and exclusive lovers of colour, as the overcivilised ancient nations who allowed 

 none but princes to wear robes dipped in the Tyrian dye, or to write with purple ink. 



" On the other hand, the civilised nations of temperate climes, where the sum- 

 mers are short and the winters long and gloomy, living under sombre skies, amidst 

 a Fauna and Flora of pallid and inconspicuous, or dark and subdued tints, and 

 surrounded by masses of green which satisfy, but do uot excite the eye, care little 

 for brilliaut colours in their dress or household adornments, compared with the 

 inhabitants of more sunny regions; and probably are more liable to colour blind- 

 ness than they. 



" A similar observation may probably be made, with the deductions requisite 

 in oontraating the conditions of the external senses in civilised and uncivilised 

 nations, in reference to such races as the Esquimaux and Fuegians, and specially 



