Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-10-13
Poisoning lby Iyy.

tract:
9" The frequent poisoning by ivy (rhus)
III tills season, when So many of our city
residents. unfamiliar with its appearances.
come in contact with it during their visits
10 The country and seaside. leads me to call
attention to the importance of in>tructinr
the public respecting the means by which
thls liant may be easily recognized and
summed.
Poison Ivy. rs it is popularity called, is
not an ivy. but belongs TO the sumach re-
nus. 1t is rhus toxicodcndron. II is
sometimes a vine running over or bv the
Side of stone walls, fences and lodges. or
ascending trees TO Il great height, and
sometimes 4 bush of considerable size and
thickness. 1t is found almost everywhere
IN New England, in many places owinr
IN great abundance. and forming den>,.
masses by road-siies, in pastures. and
along the borlcrs of woods. Its leave,
have a marked and very characteristic
glossy look, and vary greatly in shape.
size anl outline. They are tcrnate, AZ tho.
b"tanl>ts say. that is. they consist of three
leaflets, one terminal and two lateral
growing IN common upon n rather lonr.
>emi-cylindrical stem The leaflets are.
ovHtc with rather Il broad base, more or
les pointed, and their edges are either IN
tire OF notchcd and lobel in a great v.tre-
ty of forms. 1t blossoms in June, and the
flowers are small and grow in greeni~ll-
White clusters. mostly in the axis. The
belric~ are small. round, and also of :,
pa'c. grceni>hwh hite color Later in The.
season the leaves assume Il great variety
OF most brilliant culnr-, and attract many
gatherer, of autumn folit~c
OF the other dangerous species of rhu-
QriiuS vcneta), although it is far more poi,-
onou> than the above. les need b, said.
for it Grows much less cnmmonlv than the
latter. Ii is :, small tree. "a lis common
nam s('p"ison do@wocd.' poison snmacll0
sug-e>i. and Is found mostly in >wamp>
IT. Ie;itlclS. like those of the ordinary sn-
mach. grow upon 4 long stem and vary in
number from seven To thirteen. They are
smooth. hroa Ter than those Of the latter
plant. and the terminal one grows from a
considerable lrolong;,tion OF the common
stem. In the autumn is foliage SURPRISES
that of All other trees in the variety and
brlllancv Of its tintS. and thus attracts 10
lis less freJuented haunt- not a few unwa-
~ visitors.
The virulent princple of these plants i>
4 volatile acid which exists in all their
parts, but especially in the leaves. All
persons are not affected bv ii. but many
who can handle the vine. rhus toxicoden-
dron. with impunity are poisoned bv the
tree. rhu> venenata, 50 much more violent
is the latter. Actual contact with the
plants is not in All cases necessary for the
production Of their poisonous effects. on
account of the volatility of their active
principle; and there is good reason to
believe that persons highly sensitive to the
poison not unfreqIcntlv suffer from passing
by places where the vine grows abundant
ly. The plant is supposed TO be most ac-
lively virulent during the Towering
season in early summer. but cases of pois-
onlng occur with great frequency through
out the autumn. when its leaves take on
their seductive coloring Even in the
winter, the twigS and stems are often
still alive for mischief for those who han
die them.
\ few words with regard to the treat
mcnt of rhus poisoning may not be inap-
propriate in this connection. especially in
relation to the means to be immediately
used. those to which the term antidote
may be properly applied. The poison, a>
has been stated, is volatile acid An
tlklli would therefore suggest Itself rs the
most fit agent 10 countcract its action
Thorough washing of the parts. a soon :aS
possible after contact with the poison, in
coohing>oda or saleratu> water. or in
strong soal-Sud>. especially those of soft
soap. which contains an excess of llkali.
i the best primary treatment. When
these or other alkaline preparations are
not to be obtained, an abundance Of wa
ter alone should be used rs soon "a posi-
bic After absorption h ,> taken place. or
the eruption has begun 50 show itself les
benefit is to be expected from such appli-
cations alone. Remedies are then to be
used which will best control and shorten
the intlammatory process in the tissues Of
the skin; those. in fact. which are found
To he most etiicaciouS in corre>p >pOnding
stages of acute eczema. Among these are
some which have 4 special reputation, rs
solutions of acetate of Lad or Sulphate Of
copper, applied frequently as Il wash.
Perhaps nothing is better than common
black wash used as an evaporatny lotion
for half an hour 1t time. twice daily. the
lime water acting also a> 4 chemical anti
Il tie. if possibly such action is sill in set-
son 1T this latter stage. In the intervals
between the applications of these washes.
the parts may be kept covered with cold
water dressings, with plasters of diachv-
lon ointment. or with 4 powder of starch
and oxide of zinc, according To the rules
familiar To physicians for the treatment
of acute eczema. BY these means the
process is checked and shortened. and
the sl!.rrinT> of The patient greatly
alleviatcd.
In conclusions u brief word of caution
10 soiourners in the country who are un
acquainted with these poisonous plants,
Avoii any vine or bush growing hv rocks.
fences and wood>ies. with glossy leaves
arranged in tllrerS. and in autumn any
particularly brilliant tree in swampv
places, with leaves resembling, bat broad
or than. those of the common sumach-
AN INCIDENT.-Not many Years since
certain miners working far underground
came upon the body of Il poor fellow who
has persisted in the sutfocating pit forty
wears before Some chemical agent TO
which the body had been suhjected-an
agent prepared in the laboratory of nature
had etfrctually arrested the progress of
decay. They brought it up to the surface,
and for while. till thoroughly exposed to
the atmosphere. it lay the image of a fine
sturdy young man. No convusOns had
passed over the face in dcath-the features
were tranquil; the hair was black us jet.
No one recognized the f;ice-a generation
had grown up since the miner went down
into the shaft for the last time. But n to-
tering old wcmon who had hurried from
her cottage at hearing the news. came up,
and she knew again the face which through
Ill these long years she had not forgotten.
The miner WAS TO have been her husband
Oh the day after that on which he died.
There were no dry eyes when the gray
headed old pilgrim cast herself upon the
youthful corpse and poured into its deaf
ear many words of cndearment unused for
forty years. 1t was u touching contrast; !;
the one so old, the other so young. They
had both been young these long years ago.
but time had gone on with the living and
stool still with the dead.-Londos Herold.