St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-09-24
Poisoning by Ivy.

WING extract
'lhc frequent poisoning 10y ivy (llIns)
At this SEASON. when 81 many of onr
city residents. unfamiliar with its APP
pcar;incc>. come in contact with ii dur
iu@ THEN visits Ia the country and >,i-
side. leads me /" call attention 20 the
Importance of inStrrcting the public
rc-pcclimg the means by which this
plant ma, lie generally and easily rec
"guizcd and Stunned.
Poison ivy. ~ it is popularity called,
* not an ivy. but belongs to the sumach
genius. II l. rhuS toXicodcndrnn. 1t
j. sometimes Il vine running over or 10y
the side oi stone walls. fences aud
hedges. OF ;i>cciIdim" trees Ia Il Great
hight. and sometimes Il bush of comSid-
enable size and thickness. 1t l. found
almost every where in New England. in
many places growing in great album
dance. and forming dense misses 10y
road sides. in pastures. and along the
murders of woods. lis leaves have Il
marked and very characteristic GLOSSY
look. and vary greatly in shape. size
and outline. They are triiIatr. as the
bntanistS say. that is, they consist OF
three leaflets. one terminal and tive
lateral, glowing in common upon {;
rather long. Scmi-cN iimdiicIl stem. The
leaflets are OVatc with rather 4 broad
base. more or less pointed. and THEN
edges are either entire or notched and
iohrd i'll ii variety of forms. 1t bios
SONS in June. and the tinwcIS are small
and gov in grccnISlI- white clusters
mostly in the axis. The berries, are
small. round. and also of Il pale. green
I>h-Nhtc color. Later III the season
the leaves assume Il great variety al
mos! brilliant c0!ol> and attract MANY
gdthcrcI~ of autumn foliage.
OF the other dangerous species al
rhu> irtIuS Ncncnat::.) although it is f;,l
more poisonous than the above. les,
need hc said. inl il grows much les,
commonly than the latter. 1t is {;
small nee. a. its common names (.p"i>ol
d"%wood. poison Sumach') suggest
and l. found rIostlv in swamps 1t,
leaflets. like hose of the ordinary Srl.
mach, grew upon Il long stem and vary
in l.nuhci from seven to thirteen. They
are ~n,""ti. broader than til,>,. of III,
( latter plant. and the terminal one grow,
from u considerable pI"lon"aliun ul tn,
common stem. IL he aufumn its foil
age >urpH~S,> that OF all other trees il
/ the variety ana hIill.anrl OF its tint>
ami nus attracts 10 its less frruu"ntc,
Itanni> not u few unWarN visitors.
The virulent principle of thc>, plant.
Is Il N"iatiie acid which exists in al
THEN parts but especially in the leaves
. MI persons :Ic NOT affected by il. hu
maH} who can handle the Vine. rhn.
INSTRUMENTATION, with impunity are poi
S"n"d 10y the tree. rhu> Ncncnata. ;,
much m"Ic virIlrut is the. latter. Actu;i
contact With the plants is not i'll all case,
iI,tc>s;ul for the production of thci
Ir',>,,uuIi~ ,itr.t>. nu account of tl,
volatility of THEN active principle: an,
. thclr Is go:,d reason To bclicVc iha
leI>t'i,> hight. >cn>itiv" Ia the Ipoi>nl
not unTIc,IuruilN suffer from passing 10y
/ place here the vine grows abundant.
/ Is. Ihc plamr l. supposed tn IL. mos
actively VitiIicnt during the. Towering
season in ratll summer. but caS,.S %
/ pui>uiliuG occur with great tIcqucmcN
/ Throughout thc autumn. when lis leave,
take ON thriI seductive cnlriinw. Even
IN the Nlntcr the wigs and stem, III,
often found still alive for mischief b\
th:,S,. " hu handle them.
y few words with regard Ia the treat
m"nl ot rhm> pniSonilI" may not he in
appropriate IN this connection. especial
~ III relation tn the means to ltc inImr-
dlHirlN used. those t" which the term
nnlid"tc may he property applied. lh,
poison. rs has been stated. il 4 Noiatil,
acId. An alkHli would therefore Suggest
itself rs The most hi agent To counter
act its action. Thorough Washing oi
he parts. a> soon ~ possible aitcI con
tact with the p"lSGn. IN cooking soda
"r >al.tntiIS water. OF IN strong Snai,-
>ld>. especially th">,. of soft soap.
winch contains an excess of alka!l. j.
therefore til" best primary Treatment.
Nlnn these "r other alkaline I,IcIar.i-
tiuuS ale not to ice obtained. an album
lIIirc at water alone should he used As
seen rs pnS>iilr. After absorption has
tak"m place. al Ihc eruption has begun
la show ii elf. less i,cIctif i to l,. ,\-
Ir"t.'i from such applications alone.
Remedies ale th,'I to lie used which
will h'.>t control and ,,iIoIi len he intiam-
nIt"r1 I'jnc,.~> in the TISSUES ui the skin :
lho>". IN tact. vhiri are found To- IL.
rh"st rtlIcdcI"U~ IN rnri' >i,ondIng stage.
al acute eczema. Among these. are.
some which nave i special reputation.
a. solutions ui IcctIi" of lead al sui
pirate of copper. applied frequently rs
Il wash. l'cipirap> mnthin" i, better
than common black wash used as an
cNapolaIIng lotion for hall an hour at Il
time. twice daily. the lime watci acting
ais" ~ Il chemical anti,ntr. if poSSihl,
such action i still in season az this later
Stage. in the Intervals between the
applications of these washes III, parts
may hr kept covered with cold water
dressings. With plaStcIS of diachN Ion
ointment. "r with i powder of oxide of
zinc. according to the rules familiar to
physicians tor the treatment of acute
eczema. BY these means the process is
checked and shortened. and the suffer
in%> of the patient greatly allrviated.
la conclusions. Il hrict word of eau
tiUn Ia >uioulIcIs in the country who
arr unacIuantrd with these pu>unnlrs
plants. Avoid any vine or bush grow
in" 10y rocks. fences and wuouSide. with
glossy leaves arranged in therS. and in
the autumn any particularly brilliant
tree IN sWampN places. with leaves re-
S"mhin@. hut broader than those of
the common SImach."
Autumn Leaves.
1t Is best to begin early. aS some of
the most beautifully tinted leaves M,