REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON COLOUR- 



YISIOK 



The Committee on Colour- Vision appointed by the Council of 

 the Royal Society on March 20, 1890, and consisting- of the 

 following- members : — The Lord Rayleigh, Sec. R.S., Chairman; 

 The Lord Kelvin, Pres. R.S. ; Mr. R. Brudenell Carter ; Prof. A. 

 H. Church, F.R.S. ; Mr. J. Evans, Treas. R.S. ; Dr. R. Farquharson, 

 M.P. ; Prof. M. Foster, Sec. R.S. ; Mr. F. Galton, F.R.S. ; Dr. W. 

 Pole, F.R.S. ; Sir G. G. Stokes, Bart, M.P., F.R.S. ; and Captain 

 W. de W. Abney, C.B., F.R.S., Secretary, now submit their Report, 

 with Minutes of the Evidence taken. 



The Committee have held 30 meetings, and have examined 

 more than 500 individuals as to their colour-vision. They have 

 tried various methods and apparatus, including HolmgTen's wool- 

 test with Dr. Jeaffreson's and Dr. Thomson's modifications, Lord 

 Rayleigh's colour-mixing apparatus and that of Captain Abney, 

 Dr. Karl Grossmann's system, the lantern devised by Mr. F. 

 Galton, and Mr. Lovibond's tintometer. They have taken the 

 evidence of Captain Steele, of the Board of Trade ; Mr. Rosser, 

 a private instructor in navigation; Messrs. J. J. Hanbury, 

 A. S. H. Wadden, and Bambridge, connected with the colour- 

 testing departments of certain railways ; Captain Macnab, of the 

 Liverpool Board of Trade ; Captain Angove, of the Peninsular 

 and Oriental Steamship Company; and the following surgeons 

 and experts in colour-vision testing': — Mr. Priestley Smith, 

 Mr. T. H. Bickeitou, Mr. E. Nettleship, Staff-Surgeon T. J. 

 Preston, Dr. G. Lindsay Johnson, and Dr. Edridge Green. The 

 Committee are under great obligations to Captain Abney, not 

 only for having officiated as Secretary, but also for his very con- 

 siderable labour in the determination of colour-constants, the 

 registration of colours, and the examination, by spectral methods, 

 of particular cases of defective colour-vision. 



After weighing the evidence which they have obtained, the 

 Committee have unanimously agreed upon the following recom- 

 mendations : — 



1. That the Board of Trade, or some other central authority, 



should schedule certain employments in the mercantile 

 marine and on railways, the filling of which by persons 

 whose vision is defective either for colour or form, or who 

 are ignorant of the names of colours, would involve 

 danger to life and property. 



2. That the proper testing, both for colour and form, of al 



candidates for such employments should be compulsory. 



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