INFLUENCE OF COLOUR.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 275, 6 November 1916, Page 7

INFLUENCE OF COLOUR.

There are sorrip very interesting theories about colours ; for instance, that colour has . a marked influence on the nerves', though ' the. knowledge is seldom turned to practical use (says a .writer in the “Sydney Daily Telegraph”). Red, for example, is a high stimulant, and for | that reason is sometimes used in. the furnishing or the appointments of the dining room, because it is be- . lieved to stimulate the flow of the ■ gastric juice's so necessary to digesi tion. Orange and yellow have a similar effect, but in a much lesser, degree. If practical use were made of these facts rooms for work and places for active enjoyment, such as ballrooms, theatres, and so forth, would be decorated in red, orange, and yellow colours. A well-known scientist. declared that if anyone engaged in. writing will try the experiment of covering the table with a red cloth and compare the work done with that which can be accomplished when the table is covered with a dark blue or green cloth he or she will appreciate how strong is the influence, of colours on invention and expression. On the other had, blue is a sedative to the nervous system. A person suffering from neuralgia is said to get relief by fixing his eyes on a blue ground. Green normally produces a tranquil state of mind, and violet is also somewhat soothing. The darker shades of blue:, green, and violet are so sedative as to be depressing to some' people. Therefore when rest is desired after a heavy day’s work it. is advisable to sit in a room in which the predominant shades are blue, violet, or green.

Then cqlour is sometimes used as a medicine in sickness, and marvellous results are said to have been obtained in certain skin diseases by the use of colour to exclude some of the rays of light while allowing others to be intensified. Almost every woman knows, too, that by wearing a red gossamer she will escape sunburn on the hottest day, as the red absorbs the sun’s rays. A noted actress, who once visited Sydney, said that all people had their happy colours, which they should endeavour to find out and always wear. But undoubtedly a woman’s happy colour is that which suits her best, for when wearing it she is sure of looking her best, which is certainly very conducive to her happiness.