Main description:

Originally published in 1938, this book presents a discussion regarding the nature of auditory and visual sensation. The text focuses mainly on the nature of the perceptual process. As Rawdon-Smith notes in the preface, 'I wish to be concerned more with the mechanism whereby our sensations arise than with what our sense organs can do.' Illustrative figures and a detailed bibliography are also contained. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in sensory perception and the history of science.

Contents:

Acknowledgement; Introduction; Part I. Vision: 1. The formation of a retinal image; 2. The duality of the retinal process; 3. The discrimination of intensity, and visual acuity; 4. Colour vision; Part II. Audition: 5. The anatomy of the ear, and the function of the peripheral mechanism; 6. The perception of pitch; 7. Theories of the perception of loudness; Postscript; Bibliography; Index.