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The Fundamental Colour Sensations in Man's Colour Sense
BOOK NOTICES
220
things, such as suitable laboratory space and material and a lecture room, may be sadly lacking. More full-time or parttime teachers of ophthalmology must be provided for. Enough money must be raised for the eye departments of all our schools to develop and carry on the work of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. There are 59 Class A medical schools in our country today and not more than six at the moment are giving or planning to give basic courses in ophthalmology. We will have the backing of our ophthalmic associations and presumably that of the national medical societies as well in this venture. We will have the grateful support of the American Board of Ophthalmology, which is struggling with the problem of raising standards at a time of inadequate equipment for training and in the face of an overwhelming demand for such training. Have we the energy, vitality, and initiative to accept the challenge and to seize the opportunity? Derrick Vail.
BOOK NOTICES
T H E FUNDAMENTAL COLOUR SENSATIONS IN MAN'S COLOUR SENSE. By Gustaf F. GotMin. Seventy pages, 21 illustrations. Stockholm, Almqvist-Wiksells, 1943. This summary in English of Gothlin's experimental results and theoretical views as to color vision marks a return of the author to this field of activity after a 20-year preoccupation with other subjects. The theoretical views are based upon the particular three-components formulation generated by choosing as fundamental colors red, green, and blue. Red plus green cancels to yellow, and yellow plus blue cancels to white. In these respects, Gothlin's views agree strikingly
with those put forward by Ladd-Franklin in 1892, which, surprisingly enough, are not mentioned by him. The mechanism by which red-green and yellow-blue cancellations are accomplished, however, is taken to be an inhibitory action in the central nervous system. These views are adequate to account for Gothlin's experimental results on energy thresholds for the red sensation, on the situation and extent of the purely yellow zone in the spectrum of anomalous trichromats, and on energy thresholds for the blue and violet sensations; and like the Ladd-Franklin theory they account for a large proportion of the known facts of vision. They have not, however, been developed very far beyond the qualitative stage and in some respects seem rather confused. For example, Gothlin rejects the urge of previous advocates of the three-components theory to choose imaginary colors for primaries, thereby eliminating negative portions of the three spectral curves of trichromatic coefficients. He says (p. 60), ". . . these (negative portions) really mean that an impulse for a colour sensation of whatever quality releases to some extent an inhibition of impulses for the complementary colour sensation within the same area." Such a view implies that the spectrum primaries, to which the coefficient curves refer, can correspond to the fundamental colors, themselves; but it is also stated (p. 68) that "no isolated fundamental colour sensation can be experienced subjectively— with the possible exception that the most long-wave red in a completely pure spectrum may give such a sensation of red. . . ." The difficulty is treated most elegantly by G. E. Miiller (Z. Psychol., 1930, v. 17). In spite of difficulties not resolved, and in spite of space wasted in summarizing inconclusive support for views already better supported by other work, there is
CORRESPONDENCE much in this summary to interest a student of visual theory. For example, the variations among different subjects with normal color vision in the position of the spectral zone for pure yellow are plausibly accounted for by supposing the existence of an individually varying proportion of the number of receptors for red aand for green combined with a mass action giving more weight to the central impression of a fundamental color component when the number of its excited receptors is greater. Furthermore the perception by a congenitally yellow-blueblind observer (the famous case of Alrutz) of the short-wave end of the spectrum as "red with black spots" may be explained in the same way. Even the highly elaborated theory of Miiller does not seem to do quite as well on these points. D. B. Judd. GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY. By J. Eastman Sheehan, M.D. 1st Edition, clothbound, 345 pages, 495 illustrations. New York and London, Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 1945. Price $6.75. This book, which is the fifth in the career of the author, is not primarily a text for ophthalmologists but rather a treatise on general surgical techniques with an emphasis on war injuries. The first four chapters deal with the agents which produce war wounds, the nature of such wounds, wound excision, and the control of wound infection. The author points out that prior to World War II, reliance was placed chiefly on bactericidal action, but after the power of the sulfonamides to induce bacteriostasis was demonstrated, attention has centered on this later method. Some space is devoted to the use of sulfonamides and penicillin. Chapter five deals with the subject of burns and their treatment. It is
221
encouraging to note that he recommends that the tannic-acid treatment be abandoned and the wound be treated as an open wound with special attention to the elimination of infection and replacement of lost skin as early as possible. The major portion of the text is devoted to the care of wounds, and an attempt has been made to cover the whole field of surgery. The section on wounds of the face includes wounds of the orbit, and the discussion on reparative procedures about the eyes is brief and incomplete. The chapter on tissue replacement demonstrates the different types of skin flaps and classifies skin grafts on the basis of their thickness. Some attention is devoted to the Padgett dermatome, and there is a discussion of plasma and white-cell fixation of grafts and the use of other materials for plastic repair. The last two chapters are devoted to the healing of wounds and elaboration on the details of surgery for repair of the nose, the mouth, facial contours, the eye, and the ear. The illustrations, which are numerous, consist chiefly of line drawings, and there is a tendency to oversimplification. The book is interesting and contains much informative material but it is not comprehensive enough to be classified as a complete reference book on modern operative methods. No one can be experienced and well informed in the whole field of surgery, and, in our present day of specialization, the need is for books which cover a small field thoroughly rather than those which cover the whole field inadequately. Irving Puntenney.
CORRESPONDENCE PRESBYOPIA ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERNATING SQUINT
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology:
220
things, such as suitable laboratory space and material and a lecture room, may be sadly lacking. More full-time or parttime teachers of ophthalmology must be provided for. Enough money must be raised for the eye departments of all our schools to develop and carry on the work of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. There are 59 Class A medical schools in our country today and not more than six at the moment are giving or planning to give basic courses in ophthalmology. We will have the backing of our ophthalmic associations and presumably that of the national medical societies as well in this venture. We will have the grateful support of the American Board of Ophthalmology, which is struggling with the problem of raising standards at a time of inadequate equipment for training and in the face of an overwhelming demand for such training. Have we the energy, vitality, and initiative to accept the challenge and to seize the opportunity? Derrick Vail.
BOOK NOTICES
T H E FUNDAMENTAL COLOUR SENSATIONS IN MAN'S COLOUR SENSE. By Gustaf F. GotMin. Seventy pages, 21 illustrations. Stockholm, Almqvist-Wiksells, 1943. This summary in English of Gothlin's experimental results and theoretical views as to color vision marks a return of the author to this field of activity after a 20-year preoccupation with other subjects. The theoretical views are based upon the particular three-components formulation generated by choosing as fundamental colors red, green, and blue. Red plus green cancels to yellow, and yellow plus blue cancels to white. In these respects, Gothlin's views agree strikingly
with those put forward by Ladd-Franklin in 1892, which, surprisingly enough, are not mentioned by him. The mechanism by which red-green and yellow-blue cancellations are accomplished, however, is taken to be an inhibitory action in the central nervous system. These views are adequate to account for Gothlin's experimental results on energy thresholds for the red sensation, on the situation and extent of the purely yellow zone in the spectrum of anomalous trichromats, and on energy thresholds for the blue and violet sensations; and like the Ladd-Franklin theory they account for a large proportion of the known facts of vision. They have not, however, been developed very far beyond the qualitative stage and in some respects seem rather confused. For example, Gothlin rejects the urge of previous advocates of the three-components theory to choose imaginary colors for primaries, thereby eliminating negative portions of the three spectral curves of trichromatic coefficients. He says (p. 60), ". . . these (negative portions) really mean that an impulse for a colour sensation of whatever quality releases to some extent an inhibition of impulses for the complementary colour sensation within the same area." Such a view implies that the spectrum primaries, to which the coefficient curves refer, can correspond to the fundamental colors, themselves; but it is also stated (p. 68) that "no isolated fundamental colour sensation can be experienced subjectively— with the possible exception that the most long-wave red in a completely pure spectrum may give such a sensation of red. . . ." The difficulty is treated most elegantly by G. E. Miiller (Z. Psychol., 1930, v. 17). In spite of difficulties not resolved, and in spite of space wasted in summarizing inconclusive support for views already better supported by other work, there is
CORRESPONDENCE much in this summary to interest a student of visual theory. For example, the variations among different subjects with normal color vision in the position of the spectral zone for pure yellow are plausibly accounted for by supposing the existence of an individually varying proportion of the number of receptors for red aand for green combined with a mass action giving more weight to the central impression of a fundamental color component when the number of its excited receptors is greater. Furthermore the perception by a congenitally yellow-blueblind observer (the famous case of Alrutz) of the short-wave end of the spectrum as "red with black spots" may be explained in the same way. Even the highly elaborated theory of Miiller does not seem to do quite as well on these points. D. B. Judd. GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY. By J. Eastman Sheehan, M.D. 1st Edition, clothbound, 345 pages, 495 illustrations. New York and London, Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 1945. Price $6.75. This book, which is the fifth in the career of the author, is not primarily a text for ophthalmologists but rather a treatise on general surgical techniques with an emphasis on war injuries. The first four chapters deal with the agents which produce war wounds, the nature of such wounds, wound excision, and the control of wound infection. The author points out that prior to World War II, reliance was placed chiefly on bactericidal action, but after the power of the sulfonamides to induce bacteriostasis was demonstrated, attention has centered on this later method. Some space is devoted to the use of sulfonamides and penicillin. Chapter five deals with the subject of burns and their treatment. It is
221
encouraging to note that he recommends that the tannic-acid treatment be abandoned and the wound be treated as an open wound with special attention to the elimination of infection and replacement of lost skin as early as possible. The major portion of the text is devoted to the care of wounds, and an attempt has been made to cover the whole field of surgery. The section on wounds of the face includes wounds of the orbit, and the discussion on reparative procedures about the eyes is brief and incomplete. The chapter on tissue replacement demonstrates the different types of skin flaps and classifies skin grafts on the basis of their thickness. Some attention is devoted to the Padgett dermatome, and there is a discussion of plasma and white-cell fixation of grafts and the use of other materials for plastic repair. The last two chapters are devoted to the healing of wounds and elaboration on the details of surgery for repair of the nose, the mouth, facial contours, the eye, and the ear. The illustrations, which are numerous, consist chiefly of line drawings, and there is a tendency to oversimplification. The book is interesting and contains much informative material but it is not comprehensive enough to be classified as a complete reference book on modern operative methods. No one can be experienced and well informed in the whole field of surgery, and, in our present day of specialization, the need is for books which cover a small field thoroughly rather than those which cover the whole field inadequately. Irving Puntenney.
CORRESPONDENCE PRESBYOPIA ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERNATING SQUINT
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: