Report of the Committee on Colour- Vision. 



367 



out a colour named to him. Afterwards the surgeon or an officer 

 takes up one skein after another, and asks the man to name the 

 colour. 



If the man's answers to either of the above are satisfactory, 

 he is entered. 



" Peninsular and Oriental Steam ]S"ayigation Company, 



" Offices, 122, Leadenhall Street, 



"London, E.C., 

 "July 6, 1891. 



" Sir, — We regret we have not been able to reply earlier to 

 your letter of the 23rd ult., which was duly received, but we are 

 pleased now to give you the information you desire. 



"Every navigating officer who enters our service has his sight 

 specially tested, and he is not accepted unless he possesses good 

 normal vision in both eyes. 



" The method by which the vision is tested is as follows : — 

 One of Pickard and Curry's (of Great Portland Street) large 

 sheets of test types is enclosed in a frame and hung on the wall 

 of a room. The prescribed distance has been measured and 

 marked, and the candidate is placed with his toes to this line. 

 First one eye is covered up and he is asked to read all the lines, 

 beginning- with the very large type at the bottom line. If 

 the eye first examined proves satisfactory, it is covered up and 

 the other e}^e is examined in a similar way. Should the candidate 

 prove to have good long sight in both eyes, his short sight is 

 tested by his being asked to read a list of proper names printed 

 in small type, the sheet on which the names are printed being 

 gradually brought closer to his eyes until the words cease to be 

 distinct. This distance is noted, and if shown to be the normal 

 distance, his sight is considered good. We attach importance to 

 good short sight as well as good long sight on account of the 

 necessity of reading, marking on charts, &c. 



" The candidate having' shown himself to possess good long 

 and good short sight, is tested as to colour-sight by being asked 

 to name the colours of an assortment of the usual coloured wools, 

 obtained for the purpose from Pickard and Curry. 



" Preliminary to this examination, the candidate's power of long 

 sight is usuall}^ roughly tested by his being asked to read letters 

 on sign-boards, &c. at various distances in the street, but it is on 

 the accurate tests above described, which are never omitted, that 

 we place reliance, and on the results which they give we base 

 our decision regarding the acceptance of the candidate so far as 

 his vision is concerned. All seamen have to produce Board of 

 Trade Colour Certificates before being shipped by this Company's 

 vessels. " We are, dear Sir, 



« Yours faithfully. 



" J. P. JAMES, 

 " For the Managing Directors. 



'« Captain W. de W. Abney, C.B., P.E., 

 " Science and Art Department." 



