316 Report of the Committee on Colour-Vision. 



At first they would not believe in the existence of colour- 

 blindness ; then when the dangers of colour-blindness could not 

 be denied, they said the number of colour-blind cases were very 

 small ; and now they say the number of cases are so numerous 

 that it would cause great hardship to rid the Service of them all. 

 At the present moment no care whatever is taken to prevent 

 colour-blind boys from being brought up to the sea life. Some 

 three or four years ago I examined the boys of the training ships 

 Conway, Akbar, Clarence, Indefatigable, and Clio, the first four 

 ships being in the .River Mersey, the latter in the Menai Straits. 



On the Conway, out of 154 boys 2- were colour-blind. One, 

 aged 14, had been on board two years ; the other, aged 13 J, had 

 been there eighteen months. Both were fond of the sea ; both 

 were unaware of their defect ; and both, on their friends being 

 informed of the matter, were removed from the ship. On 

 the Akbar there were 4 colour-blind out of 148 boys ; on the 

 Indefatigable, 12 out of 238 ; on the Clarence, 7 out of 158 ; and 

 on the Clio, 9 were colour-blind out of 258 on board. 



On these five vessels, therefore, there were at the time of 

 my examination a total of thirty-four colour-blind boys being 

 specially trained to a profession which they were physically and 

 morally unfitted to enter. In addition to these, of 200 boys 

 in the Seamen's Orphanage eight were colour-blind, and it is 

 purely a matter of chance whether the boys have gone to sea or not. 



Question. — Do you know if there is any examination in the case 

 of the boys on the Britannia ? 



The Witness : I do not, but I should think there is. There 

 is a careful examination as to form-vision, and they reject all 

 boys who have not perfect vision of both eyes. Since 

 the two colour-blind boys were discovered on the Conway, the 

 Committee of that vessel have, I understand, insisted that 

 every boy joining the ship shall bring a certificate stating that 

 he is not colour-blind. I do not know if they are particular as 

 to who gives the certificate. 



Question. — Can you make any numerical statement as to per- 

 sons on the seas whom you regard as unfit for their duties ? 



The Witness : I am aware of (a) eleven colour-blind men who 

 were bound apprentices, and who at the time I was consulted 

 had been at sea for periods varying from four and a half to eight 

 years ; (b) of four colour-blind able seamen whose years of 

 service were respectively thirty-five years, twenty-one years, 

 twelve years, fourth unknown ; (c) of seven officers holding 

 high and responsible positions, the length of whose services 

 were respectively twenty- six years, eleven years, six years, 

 ten years, twenty years, twenty years, thirty years, making 

 a total of twenty-two colour-blind sailors. (In addition to these 

 actual sailors, there are the thirty-four colour-blind boys, the 

 majority of whom are now at sea, unless they are dead or left 

 the service.) Some were obliged compulsorily to give up their 



