THE COLOUR CURE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 195, 13 May 1919, Page 5

THE COLOUR CURE

BLEND BATHS FOR PATIENTS. "Atom," in an article in "Everyman," on "Cure by Colour," says:—"The normal reaction to colour is .the physiological, and hence we tod that one type of person prefers red as consistently as another prefers green—i.e., for the normal effects which these colours have upon the subject. The one person prefers stimulus, the other rest; and each chooses accordingly. But colours hav* an effect <luo to association, and this may be a general association or a particular individual association. Thus a curtain green may be disliked by some and liked by others, because it suggests the sea or green fields. It is probablo that many soldiers will dislike .certain browns and red 3, because of then suggestion of the war. These two instances are general. But people frequently .associate a given colour with some pleasant or unpleasant incident which was associated with it, and such a preference or dislike may last throughout the life. It is this possibility which complicates the now method of treating certain cases, ohiofly nervous and mental, by colours. A colour that is quite restful, to one poreon may»bß painfully stimulating to another from the particular association. Such an association may invalidate much of the colour treatment that is now possible. A colour organ has beeri invented, and, by particular blends of colour poured out~in streams, it is possible to play upon most ordinary peoplo and produce'a desired effect. But .if there are ■associative dislikes in tho subject some particular stream of colour , harmonies may be;use!ess. Thero is then a colourcharacteristic in many people, and probably in most people whose nervous or Omental balance iias been disturbed, and • this must'first -be discovered before-the patient can he really, benefited. . "We are now ii; a po*aon to discuss the oolour-curcs of Mr. Kemp Prosser, ns described in tho 'Daily Chronicle.' 'Bad-tempered people should live in pinlt toqjns,'■ we are (old. Now pink is a' stimulating colour. Most people would suggest that a soothing colcx-.r would be tho best for a bad-tempered man, and the present writer has found'red a distinctly irritating colour. !If pink has proved useful to bad-tempered people, it- seems to bo a case of associative and not physiological preference—i.e., the law' is particular and not universal. Mr. . Prosser states - that 'an officer who was sont to a blue and mauve room which 1 designed was able to sleep there, without drugs, for the first time in months.' The case is more normal. In Fere's experiments blue was found to be the .most restful of colours, and it would, therefore, bo quite natural for a room of such colour to induce restfulness and 's'cep. But the 'health dining-room,' with a bine ceiling, yellow walls, dark bine curtains, nixl chairs covered ,with green velvet, with glass upon the table, would have, physiologically, a jumble of effects. Tne blues and greens would tend to soothe tho diner, 'fhe yellow and the glass, with its reflections of light, would give a maximum of stimulus. A great deal more eaicful work must be done on this subject before we can treat colour as the definitely curative agent which it seems possible it may become."