a brilliant scintillation in the eyes of man himself

Phosphorescence, or, the emission of light by minerals, plants and animals.

Phipson, T.L.

1862

“The un-named daughter of Linnaeus in 1766 observed of the garden Nasturtium to 'emit sparks or flashes in the morning before sunrise during the minutes of June and July and also during the twilight and eventually, but not after, total darkness came on.

….

It is well known that when the Pistil of a flower is impregnated, the pollen bursts away by the elasticity of the Anthers, and may be to a certain extent electrified.

…..

The flowers were throwing out flames, flickerings or sparks, which were shot out of the corolla, and resembled somewhat those given by an electric machine.

Best observed by observing without fixing the eyes upon any one flower in particular.”

"I have observed a brilliant scintillation in the eyes of man himself but only once. The light was of a metallic-pink colour, resembling, in general aspect, the green light emitted from dogs eyes. I only saw this in one individual though I have examined many, but a friend of mine lately witnessed it in the eyes of a little girl. Both subjects alluded to were remarkable delicate."

The Nature of Animal Light

Harvey, E Newton

1920

“The eye of any animal is quite invisible in absolute darkness.”

" The flashing of flowers, especially those of a red or orange color, like the poppy, which many observers have noticed during twilight hours, is a purely subjective phenomenon due to the formation of after images in eyes partially adapted to the dark. This flashing, first observed by the daughter of Linnæus, is never observed in total darkness or in the direct field of vision, but only in the indirect field as during a sidelong glance at the plant.

There are some cases of luminosity on record in connection with man himself. (See Heller, 1854). Before the days of aseptic and antiseptic surgery, wounds frequently became infected with luminous bacteria and glowed at night. The older surgeons even supposed that luminous wounds were more apt to heal properly than non-luminous ones. We know that luminous bacteria are non-pathogenic, harmless organisms and the presence of these forms even on dead fish or flesh never accompanies but always precedes putrefaction. As recorded by Robert Boyle, no harm has come from eating luminous meat, unless it may also have become infected with pathogenic forms.”