Could it be that there is a misspelling for Pareto's "ophelimity " ?
See:
http://homepage.newschool.edu/het//essays/paretian/paretoptimal.htm

     "We will say that the members of a collectivity enjoy maximium  
ophelimity in a certain position when it is impossible to find a way  
of moving from that position very slightly in such a manner that the  
ophelimity enjoyed by each of the individuals of that collectivity  
increases or decreases." (V. Pareto, 1906: p.261).
(Manual of Political Economy , 1906 (Italian; French transl., 1909,  
English transl, 1971). )

Michael Ambrosi





Quote from  Robin Neill <[log in to unmask]>:

> Colleagues:
>
> Within the past six months I ran across a statement that
> a mid to late nineteenth century, mathematical economist
> suggested the usefullness of a "opthalimity meter" - to
> objectively measure "satisfaction". I have had no success
> in again finding the statement, and I cannot even remember
> who the economist was. Can any of you?
>
> Robin Neill
>