Should the achromatopsy result from con gestion, such means should be adopted as are best calculated to subdue it ; as depletion, purgatives, and low diet. If it arises from menstrual suppression, it will be proper to pre scribe emmenagogues, with mustard pediluvia, hip baths., and such other means as are likely to restore the catamenia. Should derange ment of the hepatic system be the exciting cause, a dose of calomel, followed by a black draught, will often be sufficient to remove it ; but it will be proper to follow such a pre scription with alterative doses of mercurials and saline aperients, of which the Pullna and Marienbad waters are very serviceable : ta raxacum with or without the nitro-muriatic acid may also be advisable.
Dyspepsia is too protean a disorder for us to attempt more than to suggest the pro priety of carefully investigating the parti culars of cases where the insensibility to colour can be traced to this cause, and of laying down such a plan of treatment, medical and general, as seems best adapted to the exigencies of each individual case.
Hyperchromatopsy (birp, beyond ; colour ; SlIns, vision).— Our knowledge of this condition of the vision which may be regarded as the opposite to achromatopsy, is at present very limited, and is chiefly derived from the publications of Dr. Sachs* and Dr Cornaz.t As we have never had an op portunity of investigating a case of the sort, we can only draw our information from these and some other sources.
Dr. Sachs is, we believe, an albino, and is in addition affected with hyperchromatopsy. The first account of this very singular anomaly of vision was published by him, and other instances have since been discovered. Pro fessor Wartmann, of Geneva, in a communi cation with which he recently favoured us, thus writes:—"Quant a l'Hyperchromatopsie, c'est une affection qui n'est probablement pas extremement rare. Je connms deux personnes qui m'ont (lit en etre atteintes, et y'espere etre un jour en etat de publier quelqucs recherches sur ce sujet. Cet etat n'est point necessaire ment lie a l'albinisine." The characteristic of Hyperchromatopsy is that of attaching colours not merely to objects which, according to ordinary vision, possess them, but also to other objects which have no pretensions to them, and this to an extent scarcely credible.
It does not appear that the same colours always attach to the same objects with different individuals ; on this point there is considerable diversity, but as the account published by Dr. Sachs of his own perceptions is the most
minute which has appeared, we shall take it as the ground of the following description : The objects to which colours especially connect themselves in this condition of vision are, figures, dates, the days of the week, the letters of the alphabet, and musical notes. These colours are not all equally distinct : the clearest are yellow, different shades of pure white and blueish white ; the less clear are orange, red, dull white, dark blue, brown and green. Black only attaches itself to one of the letters of the alphabet. This morbid sensibility to colours thus displays itself : A and E are red, but the first has more of the vermillion tint, the second most of the rose. I is white, 0 orange, U black, and is the only example of black ; UE or TJ is white, so is M and N. C is of a pale ash colour. D is yellow. F of a dull white. II a blueish ash colour. K approaches deep green. S is of deep blue, and W is brown.
Musical notes indicated by the names of the letters R et ccetera, present gene rally the same colours as these ; however whilst in the alphabet, B and G appear almost colourless, the Si flat appears of an ash grey, and the So/ of an uncertain green.
Of figures, 0 is almost transparent, of a pale and uncertain yellow, 1 of an undecided white, 2 of an uncertain tint, 3 almost ash coloured, 4 minium red, 5 yellow, 6 indigo, 7 blueish white, 8 brown, 9 almost deep green. The numbers composed of several figures take the colours of the last forming them. 0 does not change the colours of the figures to which it is joined, but gives to them a certain appearance, whilst a figure often repeated in the same number causes the colour proper to it to increase in intensity. 10, 11, 100, 110 and 111 are white ; the first of them re sembles white glass, the second is milk-colour, the third semi-transparent white ; the two last perfect white. 14, 24, 40, 44, 400 and 440 are red, but 15, 25, 50, 55,500, 555 and 1000 are yellow; why the 1000 is yellow whilst 100 is white we do not understand, as the addi tional 0 does not account for it Sunday, is to the eyes of this conscientious observer, white slightly tinged with yellow., Monday, another shade of white ; the co lour of Tuesday is obscure and undecided. Wednesday is yellow ; Thursday is of a yellowish green, verging towards orange. Friday of a dull white, and Saturday is of a blueish ash colour.