3. On “Tait's Property of the Retina”

Extract

Professor Tait having asked me to communicate to the Society some experiments I have made from time to time on the property of the retina discovered by him, and communicated to this Society, 15th January 1872, I prepared the following notes. It will be remembered that he pointed out that when the eye has been rested for a long time the first impression of light gives a red colour. Professor Crum Brown stated at the same meeting, that after Professor Tait had told him of the appearance he had himself observed a like phenomenon. Awaking one morning at grey dawn, and opening his eyes suddenly, he saw a glare of red on the window, and was so struck by it that he hastily rose to discover what house was on fire.