The strengths of three triplet lines of neutral helium-XX 4027, 4471, and compared to the strengths of the neighboring Balmer lines at two slit positions in the brightest portion of NGC 1976, the Orion Nebula, by photographic photometry. A theory of statistical equilibrium of neutral helium (Mathis 1957) is used to relate the observed line ratios to the helium/hydrogen abundance ratio. The electron temperature, as determined from the ratio of the [0 iii] lines 4959 and X 4363, is 100000 in both slit positions. The [0 ii] lines x 3726 and X 3729 indicate a density of 3700 electrons/cm.3 The derived abundance ratio, after a correction for the reddening effect of interstellar absorption has been applied to the nebular light, is found to be = 0.13. The ratio of the mass of helium to the total mass is 0.34. The results from the three lines vary, at most, 20 per cent from the average value. The influence on the reliability of the results of variations of electron temperature along the line of sight through the nebula is discussed. Such variations are found to affect the derived abundance ratio by only a small amount.