I do not speak without knowledge, and have the evidence of at least ten first-class engravers in this country. I expect to excite the ire of those who are pecuniarily interested in photograph work. I have, however, no other interest than that of any physician in the patients who apply to him. Engravers are satisfied with my explanation of their not being able to endure this photograph work. I have confined myself to the strictly professional point of view, and not intruded any artistic ideas of others or of my own. On these points critics have recently expressed themselves strongly in the public prints. I have dwelt on this subject of engraving from photographs, as well illustrating how certain forms of work are hurtful, and how the harm may be done from ignorance, and also not corrected or stopped from short-sighted mercenary motives, though it would pay better in the long-run to heed the warnings given. The artisan class have but little means of combining and resisting; thus those who have learned to be of value are thrown aside, from the ruling desire to get the golden eggs by cutting open the goose. NOTE. In the "Revue Scientifique" for June 25, 1881, in which Dr. Javal's article is published, at p. 817, is the following: "Near-sightedness in the Schools. On account of myopia becoming more and more frequent in the schools, from defective desks and seats, and bad lighting, etc., the minister of public instruction has appointed a commission on the hygiene of the sight in schools, with directions to examine the material conditions affecting the increase of myopia, and -to endeavor to suggest means of avoiding them. This commission is comprised of Drs. Gavaret, president, Panas, Gariel, Maurice Perrin, Javal; Mortmahon, inspector-general of primary instruction; Hachette and Masson, publishers; and Gauthier-Villars, printer." THE COLOR-SENSE AND ITS DEFECTS. The sense of color which the eye possesses, in addition to the sense of form, has almost been forgotten as a distinct sense, so intimately does it seem associated with an impression of form. Upon it, however, depend many of our industries, as much as upon the sense of form. Its careful cultivation is very necessary for the future success of several of our Massachusetts industrial employments. At the present an educated sense of color is of great value to its pos sessors, and to those who require their skilled labor. Whilst women can and do enter the industries formerly occupied solely by men, the latter, from a lack of an educated sense of color, are prevented from entering the others now occupied by the female sex, simply because they lack this specially cultivated color-sense derived from natural education. All this entirely aside from the fact, which I as well as others have so thoroughly shown by the testing of thousands of males, that the latter are so destitute of and unfamiliar with color names. Color-names can and should be taught our boys in school, by which their color sense would be educated to fit them for the positions and occupations they are to support themselves by; I mean the several handicrafts. The ridiculous and false teaching as to colors now so prevalent in schools must be given up, and the color sense be appealed to and gradually educated, as is the form sense, by methods in conformity with the facts of science. On this I have dwelt, in my report to the Boston School Board on the examination of twenty-eight thousand school-children for color-blindness.1 There is no system in the primary schools, no methods of any value, notwithstanding the praiseworthy efforts of individual teachers which I have met with. But among these latter I have found the very best deceived. A color-blind boy wholly escaped the observation of an experienced teacher who had paid special attention to the education as to colors; working, however, only with the worse than useless materials placed in her hands, or at her disposal. She was naturally indignant with me for my suggestion, and hardly credited the direct proof of the boy's color-blindness as I tested him before her, though this proof was perfectly convincing to all the other bystanders. This teacher failed simply because the means of instruction were so poor, and through no fault of her own. She followed the prescribed Such methods of teaching color-names and educating the color-sense as are now being largely employed in Europe, and which I am endeavoring to introduce into this country, would not only save the time of scholars and teachers, but the former could hardly escape detection if their color sense was course. 1 I would also refer to an article of mine in Education," March-April number, 1882, entitled "Color-names, Color-blindness, and the Education of the Color-sense in our Schools." This would be of great defective or they were color-blind. value to them, as, since the color sense cannot be altered by education or familiarity with colors, or any known means, it is all-important that a boy should be warned, and his parents told, that he cannot enter the professions, trades, or pursuits where a normal color sense is necessary, and where perhaps he may be excluded by law: for instance, as locomotive engineer, or pilot, etc.; besides these, however, those many industries where the color sense is absolutely required, and many positions, as in the dry-goods business, where color-blindness will sooner or later lead to dismissal. It will not as heretofore be overlooked or concealed, since a knowledge of it is becoming so widely spread, and even the characteristic mistakes somewhat understood. The community cannot be too often reminded not to confound the lack of knowledge or use of color-names, as also the lack of proper appreciation of colors due to an uneducated color sense, and the congenital or acquired loss of the color sense in whole or part. The latter has been heretofore, and will be frequently, concealed. It has often led to much mortification, disappointment, and loss of time and money, as well as to grave and fatal mistakes. These latter I have elsewhere insisted on.2 Here I would simply show to the owners and directors of our great industries the money value, first to them, then to their children, of systematic education of the color sense by simple and thorough methods in our schools, especially the teaching the color-names and the educating the color-sense of those scholars who are likely to learn but little through home life and surroundings, because from this class particularly are to come the future artisans upon whom will depend many of our Massachusetts industries. 1 Color-chart for the Primary Teaching of Colors and Education of the Color-sense. By Dr. Hugo Magnus and Dr. B. Joy Jeffries. L. Prang & Co., Boston, 1882. 2 Color-blindness: its Dangers and Detection. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., Boston revised edition, 1882. |