562  Mydriatic  Action  of  the  Solanacece.  {^^ZZ'SZ'™' 
to  new  researches.  About  this  time  I  met  Goethe,  at  the  instigation 
of  Dobereiner,  who  had  told  the  poet  that  by  experiments  upon  cats  I  had 
found  a  method  of  ascertaining  with  certainty  whether  or  not  a  poison- 
ing with  stramonium  had  occurred.  Goethe  had  thereupon  expressed 
the  desire  to  meet  the  young  chemist,  and  to  see  the  demonstration  of 
his  discovery.  When 'I  crossed  the  market  square  in  the  afternoon, 
dressed  with  a  borrowed  frock  coat  and  stove-pipe  hat,  and  carrying 
the  cat  under  my  arm,  I  created  a  universal  sensation.  The  boys  who 
were  loitering  about  the  place,  at  the  cry  'Doctor  Poison  !'  suddenlv 
came  towards  me  and  surrounded  me.  To  those  joking  at  mv  fan- 
tastic appearance  I  said,  '  Let  me  in  peace.  I  am  attending  to  some 
important  business.  I  am  going  to  Goethe/  I  was  instantly  released. 
Coming  to  Goethe's  house,  I  was  led  into  the  reception-room,  and  soon 
stood  before  the  poet.  His  lofty,  handsome,  and  powerful  presence 
made  such  an  overwhelming  impression  upon  me,  that,  all  in  a  tremble, 
I  handed  him  the  cat,  as  if  I  wanted  thus  to  defend  myself.  '  Ah ! 
So/  Goethe  said,  '  that's  what  is  going  to  be  the  future  terror  of  the 
poison-mixers.  Just  let  me  look.'  I  then  turned  the  cat's  head  so 
that  the  light  struck  both  eyes  simultaneously,  and  the  difference  be- 
tween the  eyes  could  be  readily  seen.  Goethe  was  greatly  surprised. 
Alongside  of  the  small  slit  in  one  eye,  the  round,  great  opening  in 
the  other  presented  a  very  striking  difference.  In  consequence  of  a 
somewhat  large  dose,  the  entire  iris  had  almost  become  invisible,  thus 
enhancing  this  singular  aspect,  '  How  did  you  obtain  this  effect  *? ' 
asked  Goethe.  'With  hyoscyamus,  your  excellency,'  I  answered.  'I 
have  placed  the  unmixed  juice  of  the  pounded  herb  in  the  eye,  there- 
fore the  action  is  so  strong/  ' Dobereiner  told  me,'  said  Goethe,  'that 
both  belladonna  and  stramonium  act  alike,  and  that  you  have  ascer- 
tained that  the  active  toxic  principle  is  contained  in  the  plant  in  all 
of  its  parts,  from  the  root  to  the  blossom,  fruit,  and  seed.  How  is  it 
with  other  plants,  especially  those  of  an  affiliated  relation'?'  'A 
friend  of  mine,  Dr.  Carl  Heise,  induced  by  the  peculiar  action  of  the 
stated  plants,  has  shown  in  an  elaborate  work  that  only  the  plants  of 
the  three  orders  mentioned  above  affect  the  pupils  in  a  mydriatic  man- 
ner. He  has  tried  the  action  of  innumerable  other  plants  on  the  eye, 
and  found  them  all  to  be  inert  save  a  few  which  j:>roduced  the  reverse 
of  mydriasis,  viz.,  a  contraction  of  the  pupil,  such  as  aconitum/ 
'Well,'  Goethe  said,  'there  is  a  chance  to  discover  the  proper  antidote 
for  the  toxic  action  of  belladonna.    Try  this,  and  apply  both  antago- 
