HOWE HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 80, 12 June 1945, Page 8

HOWE HEALTH GUIDE

COLOUR BLINDNESS (By the Department of Health) Colour blindness is not often acquired. It's only in rare cases that injury or disease of the eye brings on colour blindness. Most colour blindness is congenital. The condition is hereditary, running down families, usually from a colour blind grandfather, through' a normal mother, to a colour blind grandson. Females are rarely affected, though they are the ones who transmit it. The condition is much more common than people realise. Between two and four males in. every 100 will be grossly colour blimL and a very much larger percentage will be sligktly affected. It is so rare in females that girls are usually not tested for the condition. The commonest form of colour blindness is the confusion of red and green. Various tests need to be applied before an individual can be classified as definitely colour blind. One much used in the past was the Holmgren test which consisted in matching various colour wools. One much used now is the Ishahara test made by reading letters formed by various coloured dots on a background of other dots. Where there's any doubt further tests are available but they're the job of an eye specialist.

As soon as a boy shows interest in his future and says definitely what he'd like to be, his parents should think whether the calling the boy is going to study or train i'or i& one that calls for the absence of colour blindness. For colour blindness is not tested for in schools in routine medical examinations. The confusion of reds and greens would be dangerous in certain occupations —for example railway signalman, engine drivers sailors. The air force pilot or naval man must obviously not lie colour blind. As nothing can lie done to change the condition to normal, much disappointment is avoided if colour blind boys are discouraged from training for any occupation where the use of colours is involved.