As yet it has not been possible for me to find an interpretation of these facts which would seem to meet all the requirements, and I should not wish to offer any explanation at present. The question of the possible connection of this phenomenon with Purkinje's is probably important for any explanation, though it is possible that the arrangement of the curves is merely a coincidence, yet this hardly seems likely, and it would seem as if an explanation of the connection would involve an attempt at explanation of Purkinje's phenomenon, and lead at once into the most doubtful problems of the theory of visual sensations.
It is also noticed that the series of numbers obtained when the amounts of curvature of the different colored images, at the different intensities given in the foregoing table, are averaged up, and the curve of the average of all colors is thus obtained, that this average curve is very like that obtained for the white light. These curves and the series of numbers which they represent are here given.
| Average for all colors. | 14.00 | 15.70 | 17.90 | 15.90 | 15.35 |
| Curve for white light. | 11.50 | 15.00 | 17.80 | 15.75 | 14.25 |
It will be noticed, however, that the curve for the white light, while nearly equal to that of the average for the colored lights at the maximum point, nevertheless falls considerably below it at each end. This may possibly be due to the fact that with white light it was only necessary to use an 8-candle-power lamp as a source of light, so that when pieces of ground glass were interposed in order to reduce the intensity of this light, very much greater reduction would occur with this comparatively weak source than would take place with an objective source of light of far greater brilliancy, as was the case with the colored lights. Hence there would be a greater difference in absolute intensity between intensities 1 and 3 with the white light than between intensities 1 and 3 with any of the colored lights, or that represented by their average. Thus the falling of the curve of the white light at each end may possibly be due to the fact that there is a greater difference in intensity represented by these parts of the curve in the case of the white light than is represented by the analogous portions of the curve of the average of the colored lights.
It will be remembered that these measurements were obtained when the image was upon the fovea, so that the white obtained was "cone white," and not due in any way to the functioning of the rods. It is interesting to note that the curve of the white is very near that of the average curve of all the colors, though I should hesitate to draw the conclusion from this that "cone white" is due to a mixture or fusion of all the excitations corresponding to the different colors.
In regard, however, to relations of the amounts of curvature of the images, there are several further considerations which ought to be noted. In the first place all three measurements were made when the images were entirely on the fovea. In the fovea there are no rods, so, whatever the connection of these facts with Purkinje's phenomenon, it is one which has to do with the functions of the cones alone.
Professor Hess, in his experiments upon totally color-blind subjects, found that exactly the same oscillatory processes in the course of the stimulation occurred with them as with normal subjects. He also found that the difference in the time of latent perception between the foveal and extra-foveal parts was the same for one set of subjects as for the other. The sole difference seemed to be in the one fact of not being able to perceive colors. From these facts it does not look as if the difference between seeing colors and color-blindness were by any means always due to the absence of cones in the color-blind eye. It may of course be true that an eye which is deficient in cones or which has a lesion of the fovea would have poor color perception. But it seems also true that an eye which, in so far as the rods and cones and their purely retinal processes were concerned, seems to be normal in every way, except perhaps that somewhat different intensities were required to give the same reactions (which might be explained by different central processes), may nevertheless belong to a person who is totally color-blind or totally unable to perceive colors with that eye.
If this should prove true, the cones would still be regarded as the end organs of color perception, but the cones would only give sensations of color when functioning in conjunction with some other more central process. The usual cases of color-blindness would be attributable, not to any deficiency in the cones or any other retinal process, but to a defect in this more central process, which, working in conjunction with the cones, gives us our sensations of color.
The usual views of the functions of the rods would not be affected by these considerations. They would continue to be regarded as end organs whose main business it is to deal with weak stimulations and to notice movement in objects whose images fall upon the periphery of the retina.