* vs & in C++

With a function

void foo(Doodie& poop)
{
  poop.set("diarrhea");
}

is there any difference at all in how it compiles vs

void foo(Doodie* poop)
{
  poop.set("diarrhea");
}

?

It's also strange that you use . instead of -> when you pass-by-reference via * even though pointer members are typically accessed with -> and not .

>>6
Who cares what Stroustrup thinks, the guy's a moron. I mean come on, he came up with C++.