Documents / Hearing transcript
This is the printed record of a July 29, 1968 symposium on unidentified flying objects held by the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by Rep. J. Edward Roush. The committee heard statements from six scientists: J. Allen Hynek, James E. McDonald, Carl Sagan, Robert L. Hall, James A. Harder and Robert M. L. Baker. It also printed papers from Donald Menzel, Stanton Friedman, Frank Salisbury and others. Hynek argued that puzzling UFO reports from competent witnesses deserve serious scientific study.
“Scientific American”26 pages
161 centrocecal scotomata larger for the red object than for the white. There is a superior temporal quadrant defect bilaterally of approximately 30 0 with the red object stimulus which is not present with the white object. In reduced illumi- nation the subject is completely unable to see any of the test objects. 7. Ophthalmodynomometry was performed with a Cuilbert-Routit dynomometer (using 1% Pontocaine anesthetic) with direct vision of the end point 0.D.: 70/30 units; 0.S.: 65/30 units. There were no carotid bruits orthrills; the simultaneous systemic blood pressure was 140/80 sitting and 130/80standing. 8. Opticokinetics (using a one meter by ten centimeter red back- ground cloth with a 10 cm X 8 cm. white check) was performed at a distance of one meter horizontally bilaterally and vertically. The nystagmus response in all directions was normal. D. Summary of Positive Findings 1. A history of 6 - 8 weeks of tearing, misty vision, and photophobia. 2. A pale optic nerve with absent cupping; sluggishly reacting pupils; impaired red light reflex. 3. Confluent retinal mottling, obscured macula, mild red-green dyschromanopsia. 4. Bilateral centrocecal scotomata; bilateral superior temporal quadrantanopeia (for red stimulus only. Vision in decreased light (10 foot- candles): grossly impaired to absent. E. Discussion and Creditability Score The definite retinitis, field defects for red vision, and red -green dyschromanopsia, along with a history of tearing, misty vision, and photophobia are all consistent with the diagnosis of tobacco-alcohol amblyonia (Ref. 1). Thiscondition is also supported by the findings in the General Medicine Evaluation, where other effects of excessive smoking and alcoholism are evident. The subject's retinal pathology is severe; in terms of the specific event he claims he saw, it is extreme. His "sighting" is highly unlikely because he attaches both color and shape to it in the face of specific defiencies in each of these areas. His attestation about seeing the object best when looking straight at it (see Psychiatric Anamnesis) is uncreditable because his central macular vision has been so severely compromised by retinitis. It is conceivable that what actually happened is that he 1) received a transient visual stimulus (i.e., car or airplane lights) which 2) set off some abnormal receptor firing in a damaged retinal area and 3) in turn was misperceived. Creditability score 5%. Ref. 1 Walsh, F.B.: Clinical Neuro-ophthalmologr Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore1957, p. 1182.
Hearing transcript, from the govinfo collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 256 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.