Abstract
IN the House of Commons, recently, attention was called to this subject by Dr. Farquharson, who, in stating that he would take an early opportunity of discussing it next session, intimated that the efficiency of the Board of Trade regulations on this matter was open to grave suspicion. On making inquiry, we find his doubts are only too well founded. When, in the year 1852, the carrying of red and green side-lights by sailing-vessels was made compulsory, the subject of colour-blindness had not awakened the attention of practical observers. Had the fact that from 3 to 4 per cent, of the whole male population are colour-blind then been known, it is possible that some mode other than by showing red and green lights would have been devised to indicate the positions of vessels at sea at night. As there is generally but a hazy conception of what is meant by the term colour-blind, we will briefly indicate its exact significance.
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Colour-Blindness and Defective Farsight among the Seamen of the Mercantile Marine. Nature 40, 438–439 (1889). https://doi.org/10.1038/040438c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/040438c0