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Scientific Proceedings (125) 



writer's good fortune to become acquainted with the Munsell 

 system of color notation, it is quite likely that the end achieved 

 could not have been accomplished. This system offers a concep- 

 tion of color in three dimensions and provides means of measur- 

 ing accurately any color under observation. 



Unknown colors are arrived at by spinning disks containing 

 segments of colors of known hue, values and chroma. The 

 optical mixtures resulting are unvarying and may be actually 

 matched by fast colors. Employing the original blood scale as 

 a base a color segment was added, which, on being rotated, 

 yielded a result closely corresponding to fingernail and mucous 

 membrane color. By varying the amount of this dilutant, various 

 ranges were secured, representing the anaemic normal and ple- 

 thoric types. The scales so made, while corresponding fairly well 

 to the color of the skin, lacked brilliancy, and left much to be 

 desired. While seeking a reason for this discrepancy, an in- 

 teresting fact was noted : 



It was observed that the color of completely oxygenated blood 

 en masse was in accordance with previous findings of a brilliant 

 claret hue. A drop presented the same color. If, however, this 

 drop was spread out to represent a thin film, the color changed 

 to a brick red, and, if further diluted, to a reddish yellow. The 

 thin film of brick red representing the capillary circulation was 

 then spun with the dilutant before used and the desired bril- 

 liancy was secured. The resulting scale offers gradations so 

 close to the skin color that the line of demarkation can scarcely 

 be seen. 



The h;emoxometer (oxyhaemoglobinometer) consists of a 

 series of scales representing the oxyhemoglobin content of the 

 blood as seen in the actual mass blood, mucous membrane and 

 the finger nail, or skin of the normal plethoric and anaemic indi- 

 vidual. Each step of the scale is arrived at by a separate process, 

 mathematically and optically accurate. The skin is read at the 

 lobe of the ear, the mucous membrane at the bucal aspect of the 

 lips or the palpebral conjunctiva. The finger nails read, direct- 

 ly, represent about the same opacity as the skin. 



By employing this device, one may determine not only the 

 approximate oxyhemoglobin content of the blood, but the volume 

 as well. By observing into what range the color falls, the super- 



