References to color blindness
Dr. M.F. Tritsch
tritsch at MZDMZA.ZDV.UNI-MAINZ.DE
Wed Dec 6 22:14:19 UTC 1995
Thank you to all who corrected me on supposed color blindness.
The confusion of white with yellow is indeed a case of xanthopsia.
This symptom is sometimes found in jaundice, icterus, hepatitis and
malaria and also as a result of digitalis overuse. It is referred to in
medical texts, but there is practically no current literature on it
(with the exception of a number of articles suggesting that Vincent
van Gogh's paintings often had a yellow veil because he suffered from
xanthopsia from using digitalis).
Interesting that Buddhist students of philosophy used it as an
example of faulty perception. It really is like a colored filter
before the eye, resulting presumably from diffusion of the pigment
(bilirubin from break down of blood cells or gall bladder
malfunction) into the aqueous humor of the eyeball. The externally
visible yellow coloration of the whites of the eyes has no effect on
perception at all.
Once again, thanks for the help.
Mark Tritsch
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DR. MARK F. TRITSCH (Tel/Fax: +49 611 691497)
Institut fuer Zoologie III
Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet
55099 Mainz
Germany
Schnappschuss internationale Forschungsnachrichten
Breslauer Strasse 14 b
65203 Wiesbaden
Germany
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