COLOUR INFLUENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16815, 5 June 1926, Page 15 (Supplement)

COLOUR INFLUENCE.

ITS EFFECT ON HEALTH. INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. Premising that physically beneficial colours contain in some degree the hues of sunlight, I advanced crimson and scarlet as exciting colours; yellow, orange , orange-red, rose, and pink as exhilarating; azure, turquoise, green, and greenish-blue as soothing; grey, deep blue, purplish-blue, and purple as depressing. In my school 1 experimented in the lecture room, in which 1 found students to grow inattentive and show fatigue. The walls were grey- of the deadest, kind, and by trying various colours on screens I arrived at I lie choice of a light orange, which dispersed their languor (writes "ck.1.C.,” in the Schoolmaster, detailing Ids experiences when searching for the most suitable colour and environment for Ids pupils).

My observations embraced amusing instances of colour inltuence. Among them was that of a local Mayor, a man of lively temperament, who at home spent most of his time in a smokingroom with dull slate-grey walls. While lie was away on holidays his wife had the room decorated with a brilliant scarlet in place of the dull grey. On his return lie was delighted with the smartness of his den, but he rapidly developed a violent headache, and became irritable. He grew worse. A doctor was called in, who ordered him to slay at homo for a few days. But lie got still worse. The doctor was puzzled, and it was only when a friend with a keen colour sense called and got a shock from the flaming scarlet that the real cause was discovered. The neutral lint which suited the Mayor’s lively temperament was repainted on I lie walls, and all went well.

Observation in the years that have passed since Dial time has tended to confirm my theory, and it is gratifying lo find confirmation at the present lime. Recently, In The Practitioner, Dr. J. Dobson llessey stated that lie has tiad successful results with colour treatment in eases of neuralgia, neuritis,, insomnia, high blood pressure, mental depression, and other health disorders. He finds that the three most useful colours are green, blue, and orange. He says: “Green has a remarkable southing effect upon the nervous system; it gives a sensation of warmth, relieves pain, and lowers blood pressure. Blue contracts the capillaries, gives a sensation of coolness, and tends lo raise the blood pressure; il also acts res a lonic. Grange is a general stimulant, tonic, and vitalise! - .”

The fill tire will no doubt reveal more precisely the degrees and directions of the influences of colour.