Sound & colour : their relations, analogies & harmonies / by John Denis Macdonald.

  • Macdonald, John Denis, 1826-1908.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sound & colour : their relations, analogies & harmonies / by John Denis Macdonald. 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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    A aB C TABLE IV. D Eb F G H Ked Grange Yellow Grcon Blue I I I I Isfc series. 271 256 244 207 191 fE.E. R. I. 0. I. Y. I. Ill I 266 256246 240 235 227 21! 3rd. 300 264 240 G. I. I 225 200 ludigo Violet 1 169 1 155 1 Ind. I. i V. E.V. 1 185 ]81 1 174 167 1 180 1 160 150 The positions occupied by the dark lines only give a roiigli idea of the true localization of tlie prismatic colours. But on comparing the 1st and 2nd series with, each other, there would appear to be no valid objection to tlie possible truth of the 3rd. Thus, the range of measurements embraced by the two former, cannot oppose the provisional selection of 0,0000,300 of an inch, as the length of the wave of the base red, and half that nnmber for its octave, so that all the other colours may have the ratios applied to them in the 3rd series, by the musical analogy. It will be observed that any wide deviation occuring in the 1st series is compensated in the 2nd, and vice verm. The inference is therefore legitimate, that, if the analogy of the musical scale were taken as a guide, the special points of the spectrum, whose respective vibrations would compose a well tempered diatonic scale of colour, may be readily chosen. It is probable also, that the musical ratios alone can be the test of the truth