188 NOTES ON THE SEASONS OF 1893,
that concussion of the brain or any violent shock to the nervous system, jaundice,
and other maladies, or over-indulgence in tobacco impaired the colour-vision was
undisputed, so that both congenital and contracted defects must be inquired into
wherever important consequences were involved. Certain drugs, santonine and
quinine, temporarily affected the sight, and the lecturer related his experiences
after taking a small dose of the first-named to try whether, under its influence, he
could see the neutral grey bands of Professor Pole. The results were that all
objects appeared green, or suffused with that colour, as though he looked through
a pair of green spectacles, but there was no break in the solar spectrum, nor any
grey bands. He warned his hearers against repeating the experiment, on account
of the extremely depressing action of the drug upon the nervous system. For
published details, see Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1889, p. 518, and "Photographic News,"
Sept. 20, 1889.
As to the possibilities of relief and cure, the lecturer stated that the "tiring"
of the eyes for red, by a few minutes' contemplation of a broad surface of scarlet
cloth, permitted his colour-blind friends to perceive at once a difference between
grey and green. This was to be expected, but the relief was only temporary, and
Dr. Edridge Green's trial of red spectacles afforded no permanent relief. The
contracted disorder could be dealt with, and disappeared with the removal of the
irritant cause, but congenital colour-blindness was, so far as we know at present,
quite incurable. In a certain sense we could all be made to realise the dis-
advantages of colour-blindness, for when objects were illuminated by a salt and
spirit flame (Brewster's mono-chromatic lamp) they all appeared in shades of
grey, so that paintings appeared like engravings. This was illustrated by a final
experiment, throwing the yellow light upon a varied selection of coloured prints,
dyed patterns, and highly-coloured objects, and then suddenly illuminating them,
for contrast, by the light from a burning magnesium ribbon.
Mr. Spiller was cordially thanked for his interesting lecture and demonstra-
tions, and the meeting resolved itself into the customary conversazione, at which
tea and coffee were served.
NOTES ON THE SEASONS OF 1893, PRINCIPALLY
IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF FELSTEAD.
By J. FRENCH.
THE year 1893 will long be remembered for its remarkable
character. In loose parlance it will, perhaps, be called "the
summer without a spring" ; the year in which the spring and
autumn partially interchanged, or the "year of perpetual summer."
Nature has here performed an experiment which we can hardly hope
to have repeated, and any notes of which should therefore be placed
upon record.
The long-continued drought and the absence of cloud had
peculiar effect upon plants and animals, both directly and indirectly,
and although many of the phenomena are to be accounted for, there