The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-16
POISONOUS PLANTS.
How to Guard Against tho Dangers o
the Woods and Fields.

the Woods and Fields.
At this season of the year great num-
bers of people indulge In vast deal OF
sentiment about rambles in the weeds,
rocky glens, purling brooks, and SINH
lar adjuncts of rural life. These are all
very we'll In their way, but they have
some very disagTeeable accompanIments.
Snakes, toads, wasps, hornets, ants,
ticks, beetles, and such like inhabitants
of the " leafy woods" are to most per
sons great drawbacks to the enioyments
of ruralzing. These annoyance5, how
ever, are only momentary, and are as
nothing when compared with the disa-
greeable and dangerous effects produ-
ced by some poisonous plants and
shrubs.
OF our native poisonous plants one of
the most annoying and unpleasant IN
its effects is the R]tlGs torjc0de1ldrO7l,
variOusly known as pOison-yines poison
ivy and poison-oak, although It is not
related to either the ivy or oak fami-
lies There are two varieties of this
plant, one growing erect as small
shrub, from two to five feet high, and
the other growing as a vine from eight
to thirteen feet high, clinging by small
rootlets TO trees, fences, and such
like objects. When growing as a vine
lists. In both varieties the leaves are
compound, being divided into small
leaflets, toothed or lobed In various
ways on the edges, and somewhat downy
on the under side. Those of the erect
variety are from six to eight inches
long those of the climbing variety
are from o2e-half to two-thirds that
length.
This plant should not be contour
ded, as It sometimes is, with the am
pelopsis, or Virginia creeper, or Amer
lean ivy, which has large digitate leaves,
that is, five leaflets growing fnger-like
from the apex of the footstalk.
Another species of poisonous rhus is
r. Uer1uata, or poison-sumac, also
known as poison-elder and swamp-dog-
wood, although it in no respect resem-
bles either dog-wood or an elder. 1t
grows as a shrub or small tree frem ten
to eighteen feet high, and generally in
| habits swampy or moist places. The
foliage is light green the leaves have
from seven to thirteen leaflets, and re-
| semble those of the ailantus, only on q
| smaller scale. To most persons the
| handling of the poison vine causes
| swelling of the face and vascular inham-
nation of the skin, especially at the
| joints and between the fingers, accom-
panied by very irritating and painful
| itching, which continues for two or
three weeks. The peisoRing power
of the plant appears to be very much
intensified by moisture as when the
dew is on it, or when the leaves are
wet with rain. Persons who, when the
leaves are dry, eau handle the plant
with comparative impunity, are quite
susceptible to the poison when
the leaves are moist. We have
known persons poisoned by it
| through having the smoke Of the burn
| ing stems attached to fre-wood come in
contact with the face. The best remedy
to relieve the swelling is a solution of
sugar of lead IN water, applied as So
luton to the parts affected /; permanga-
nate of potash is also used for theSSsame
purpose. To relieve the itching and
vascular Inflammation rye flour toasted
over the fire In q pan clean of grease
until the color of roasted coffee, and
busted on the affected parts, is a very
useful remedy. In no case should any
greasy or oily ointment or application
be made, as it only aggra7ates the
symptoms. A cooling aperient drink
taken occasionally is of great assistance.
Homeopathic physicians prescribe
"rhus, and in internal poisoning we
have found relief from It.
What is known among botanists as
the family of U1nbeLLifeToE, or the par
sley family, contains a large number OF
dangerously poisonous plants. Among
the native genera growing In woods and
fields which are especially to be avoided
as articles of diet, and not even to be
placed IN the mouth, are the wild car
rot, wild parsnip, cow-parsnip, COW
bane, hemlock- parsley, fool's-parsley,
-hnV lesrltr IF NH r11 q
deadly poison, water-parsnip, and poi
son hemlock (also vIrulent poisOn).
Every season the newspapers contain
accounts of persons being poisoned and
dying from using one or other of these
plants either Intentionally as vegetables,
mistaking them for the cultivated repre-
sentatives of the family, or from ignor-
antly eating the leaves or roots. Some
are used as medicines both by the regu-
lar faculty and in domestic prescrip-
tiOns, but they should never be EN-
ployed unless prescribed by a regular
physician. We would advise our read
ers to let any plant they may find in a
wild state that resembles any Of the
vegetables above mentioned severely
alone.
Sometimes children are poisoned or
injured by attempting to eat the root of
the drum, commonly known as Indian
turnip, Jsck-In-a-box, wake-robin, Jack
in-a-pulpit, green-dragon, dragOn-root,
and various other names. This is also
distinctly marked botanical order, of
which the well-known Gala lily may be
taken as a familiar example. The root
of the Incian turnip has an intensely
acrid juice, causing, when chewed, great
irritation of the throat, and sometimes
blistering the tongue and mouth, and
producing troublesome swelling of the
fauces. Many of the family produce
showy-colored berries, but they should
never be eaten, as nearly the whole or
der are suspicious or dangerous when
taken internally.
The root, leaves and berries of the
PRytoLGccG, commonly known as poke
weed, scoke and garget, are poisonous ;
the young stout shoots are sometimes
eaten boiled as asparagus, the boiling
appearing to destroy the poisonous
quality, or perhaps it may not be devel-
oped in the young state of the plant.
When older 1t Is certainly poisonous.
The SGLGHt77l, or potato family,
like the UHlbeLt9eTGe, contains sew
eral species that are cultivated as veg
etables, such as the potato, the egg
plant, the tomato, and peppers, but also
contains many species that are suspi-
cious or decidedly poisonous, the Der
ries of some of them being snowy and
tempting to children. The whole or
der is dangerous, as IN many of them
one part of the plant may be safely
used while another part may be danger
Gus, as in the potato, the tubers of
which are so wholesome, and the leaves
and berries poisonous. OF this family
there are not many species native north
ward. The principal dangerous species
are the Datttra stranlonilIDl, commonly
known as thorn-spple. jamestown weed
and stick-weed HyoscyG8lats, or hen
bane; the bitter-sweet the common
night-shade; the deadly might shade,
and the matrimony-vine. The dark
purple, almost black berries of the
deadly-nig htshade or belladouna are
sometimes eaten by children, producing
death.
Children snrnetirnes aI.r, cot The -