NERVE-RACKING RED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 3

NERVE-RACKING RED.

A'writer m tho "Ladies'! Home Journal" has a two-column art-iclo full of instances to prove that red' has a . most , exciting effect upon.tKb nerves,- and-thiSj'becausc it is the most powerful, of, all the, colours.' And instances Vare ; numerous ,of those who, living in'rooms-papered and furnished in red, be"cotne cases for nerve .-specialists. . , A,'physician, for exa'niple,': noticed that one, member..' after another of a'. certain family came toJhim ,for treatment., First it was the ..mother,! then, the .tyo daughters;' in time the son, and jastly '■ the father;);. He could find ■ i no: definite Tcason of 'a domestic- or business - nature -'as 'a 1 basis . for,- the' n,ervous - condition of -the vfamily.; Presently a grave : illness occurred, ill, tho;family,- and he spent all one day and a night in- the home.Shortly afterward'the house was closed for a poridd, v 'ahd before ,'tlie ' family left, the phyisician I ..said ,to : -the : husband: "I should like; to have you try ail experiment, if you willi -L notice ' that, you /and ;your ~family are /very'fond. of red'; your diningroom- is.papered in:' red ; tho chief colour -in your , library'is redj'three of. the bedrooms Lhai;o' ■ s been ,in are . furnished. in . red.". .while-you- are ; away, . you have. your house redecorated; ■ substitute yellows, -grc-ens, browhs,Vor, tans "for tho 'present reds, and see : wliat-the' result:will be.;upon ■, the' health of.your.'faniily." . »• _ - - .V- - ,-' The changes were; inade. ■ TW9 - years: have noW- 'elapsed, and not only, has' the rie'rvous ' condition of the family improved, but, more- ■ they-havecea'sed ,to, be patients ■ of tho ■ plfysi<Siah..'i»' "1t.,-is:,'a.'psychological: fact," said the;.physician in explanation, "but very few or us realise it. To live daily -lender the influence of .red is,'to. excite the nerves.'.' .. 1 'Dressmakers' will tell you that, they 'prefer not to make (up red materials;' that-they not - aUow a.:,single girl„or any' one set of! girls'to work.bn red for. any great length of :time. ' Experiments have proved that it first produces a feeling thaVmakes the girls tired, ( then , if . gives: them headaches ..and causes {nausea. ;v The , explanation' of ; this is ' simple': .the ~cye{is. first. stimulated; causing certain centres" of the brain;to*become too. .'active, and" from tliat point, the. stimulationgoes I 'through the .nerves .to various-parts, of the body.-; - ■ The effect of red upon children lias also .'often-bpen demonstrated. The teacher of a Sunday/'school infant' class found herself arid her class in a room with a bright red tarpet'on: the floor. .Tlie children were invariably;, restless, and {unruly. She happily knew.{something of the' influence of colours, aind' had. thp.-.'.carpet. changed to that of- a soft green', colour. . The quieting effect upon : the. cnildrenjwas, immediately noticeable. 1 Ti'e all know* how universally the red coat is. worn by children. .Unfortunately these little ones have, not the power of choice'in .'the matter, arid', must: wear what is, given them. But the. constant irritation -of the eye and-the, mind of the child, in conse-quence-of 'these {red coats, has- produced , jnany ; V a- caseof ; eyestrain and 'mental fatigue, which -in later, years - has ; resulted in ; "nerves.'' ;'lf more mothers realised the effect of red' upon their children, and how' surely they-are laying- the foundation for future additions ,to the long list of those who are "so'-nervous," the' red coat of- the child would isoon find its proper: place and bo disbarded. - ■ V--' {Often have I 'seen, in my. practice, instances- of the effect of "red as. it is used for decorative purposes in homes. ,- , ' ',1 remember the case of a ivoman- who had -;a. beautiful- lamp:! ■ ' The : shade was of a superb green;'inlaid with- a dark,{rich red: at' {night, wlien the electric light was"turned on,:the,deep Pompeiian red of the day, was transformed, becoming :a : brilliant scarlet. She, did not know;.the reason, but often said that ■ this ■ shade; ' which gave her so • much' aesthetic pleasure by day, became a' positivo - " nerve-irntant in tho, evening. "Strange," she said, "but. I can hardly; endure it." -A woman receritly told me she. was. going • ou.t to (Jinner, where,-she always, dreaded to go. "I love tbejfriends with whom I;.am to dine," ' she said.'. , "I 'enjoy them more than any?frie'n'ds'.-of-- ! m.v entire," circle, but I am always 'relieved - wheii the meal, is over., I be': foolisli-, but I have sometimes '{ thought ;?t\ was, the of/'their dining-' rooiif:" it J is/a 'fiendish - : red!"' I masked. her about the health r/of the family. "Oh," she , saidjuVthey'arc. 'always {under'the care of a nerve specialist." />. . • . ■ * " r-. ~■ • • . ' ' A.CHARITY COMPANY, LIMITED. ',_One of-tho'most, beautiful and most magnificent palaces in England has been turned into-ai factory so unique that.it deserves as mudl'"distinction as tho castle. The palaco is theygift of the Duke of Sutherland to tho cripples in whose education and training'his beautiful-wife has-long/been interested; > Recently the various projects and entcrprises ivhich. she has -forwarded threatened ' to-overjvhelm her, and she decided to turn . e F;'fP®t-i )llil S l ? tl ?ropy -into, a -business. .'{She company, which she called "Tho DuehpsS" of' Sutherland's Crippled Guild, : Limited,"{:V',;Perhaps; -it.{was. the Duchess's charni. vperhaps' it was/the .warning' in- the w-ord ;'.'limited,'.', but the; capital for. the'.new ' Company w'as . alj; subscribed ■ within ;a few minutes^'Then.;the-, Duke "offered .Trentham Hall to'b'eused as a fa'ctory and school. For generations Trentham Hall has been one of tbe,.,-sjipw. places {in 'England. '• ..V - ■ T !ie 'is now- in a state- of :preparatidn.',;„:,When.; it is complete,: about three hundred, workers in pottery,' leather, and woodjj.will;; be'.employed r there. /; .The Duchess '{is. enthusiastic over her new p'ositiohTrtha't; of tho .first. feminine head of a public,..business, in England. Although it means {a- lpt: of-,wprk;, she wilbherself attend to {the duties.of {her office. ; ' -Nbt Ibng ago experiments' were tried on eats {to test r...tlio{ ,effects.-: of; happiness : arid . 'cri'ger on -the .process -.of digestion. Th'c' cats wcro .wi'll "fed and were then placed 011' a ' warm stand while, ;by means of 'the. X-ray, the,, movements of i digestion were watched. As';long as'.the catsjwero kept placid and comfortable',■'{{digestion; - proceeded {- normally. But'"when" threats{ were{.'poked and tormented digestion stopped, and it was some time - before ;it{couldi again'be started up, although every effort was - made in the meantime to soothe the animals.' {..;.- - Jan Szatlnnani and his'wife Mario recently celebrated 'the one.hundredth 'anniversary of their wedding day in the village of Isoubolgi. They are respectively 120 and 1.16 years of age, and they have Tl2 living descendants. The pair are almost blind, but retain their other faculties: It is one of their boasts that they-havo never left the village where they were- bop. : The! Emperor Francis Joseph sent them a telegram of congratulation onHhcir'-wedding day, and asked to be supplied with details of their life. 1