September 18, 1997



Isolyser Company, Inc.
650 Engineering Drive
Technology Park
Norcross, Georgia  30092

         RE:      REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

Gentlemen:

         We have acted as your  counsel  in the  preparation  of a  Registration
Statement  on Form  S-8  (the  "Registration  Statement")  filed by you with the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission  covering  400,000 shares (the "Shares") of
common  stock,  $.001 par  value,  which may be issued by the  Company  upon the
exercise of stock options under its Stock Option Plan and otherwise.

         In so acting, we have examined and relied upon such records,  documents
and other  instruments  as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate in order
to express the opinion hereinafter set forth and have assumed the genuineness of
all signatures,  the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals,
and the  conformity to original  documents of all  documents  submitted to us as
certified or photostatic copies.

         Based on the  foregoing,  we are of the opinion  that the Shares,  when
issued  and  delivered  in  the  manner  and  on  the  terms  described  in  the
Registration  Statement  (after  it is  declared  effective),  will be duly  and
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby  consent  to the use of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration  Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we
come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of
the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended,  or the general rules and  regulations
thereunder.

                                              Very truly yours,



                                              ARNALL GOLDEN & GREGORY, LLP

459099.1