On the inefficiency of the Board of Trade tests for the detection of colour-blindness / by F.W. Edridge-Green.

  • Fredrick William Edridge-Green
Date:
[1900]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the inefficiency of the Board of Trade tests for the detection of colour-blindness / by F.W. Edridge-Green. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Reprinted from The Lancet, May 26, 1900. ON THE INEFFICIENCY OF THE BOARD OF TRADE TESTS FOR THE DETEC- TION OF COLOUR-BLINDNESS. By F. W. EDRIDGE-GREEN, M.D.Durh., F.RC.S.Eng. When I read a paper over 11 years ago drawing attention to the inefficiency of Holmgren’s test for colour-blindness not a single one of the specialists who heard my paper agreed with me ; now I do not know of a single man who has specially devoted attention to the subject who would say that this test is an efficient one. But there are many who, though acknowledging that the test is not an efficient one, still adhere blindly to the theory and method. I hope to he able in this paper to show that a test to be efficient must be based upon the facts of colour-blindness and not upon any theory. It would surprise the public and those in authority if they knew how many colour-blind men there are in the seafaring and railway professions, but I am, of course, absolutely prohibited from giving the name of any colour-blind man who may consult me to his employer without the consent of the man in question. Incredible as it may seem, shipowners are able to and do employ colour-blind officers who have been rejected by the Board of Trade, and who may have been discharged by other companies for nearly causing accidents. The reports of the Board of Trade show that Holmgren’s test has been used by the Marine Department since September, 1894. Let us consider whether there has been any improvement in the results obtained since the adoption of the test. The percentages of failures in colour vision since 1885 are as follows : 1886-86, 1-39; 1886-87, 1’12 ; 1887-88, 1-01; 1888-89, 1 03; 1889-90, 0-94; 1890-91, 1-19; 1891-92, 0 82; 1892-93, 1-17 ; from June, 1893, to August, 1894, 1 27 ; from September, 1894, to December, 1895, 1'39* ; and from January to December, 1896, 1*02 ; from January to
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