The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-07-24
CALIFORNIA; POISON OAK.
1t Hooks Pretty, but Is Not Pleasant
Plant to Handle,

California has within its borders al
least ten varieties of the oak family.
Not to enumerate the rest, there is the
'tpoison OAK which presents variety
of peculiarities in its growth. accord.
ing to the location in which it is found.
Where it has been browsed by cattle
or otherwise ''stunted" in its growth
1t assumes the appearances of dense
shrub. Ii young plant chances to
spring up in good soil at the base OF
some tall tree trunk it will Chamber up
such support in a vine-like fashion.
Sometimes it is found as good-sized
tree; often the young plants cover
acres of ground and never attain to any
size.
But wherever found it always
possesses one marked attribute that
causes tito be dreaded and avoided by
human beings. though some find that
I, its Subtle poison has no effect on them,
says the San Francisco Chronicle. 1t
iis sthis poisonous property of this
variety of quercus that makes it worth
while for all to know just how to dis
tinguish the pest when rambling
through the woods hunting, fishing, or
2 at work among the trees or on recently
cleared land.
First, to give an idea of how it
''poisons" the average human who
handles 1t. it may be said that this is
done by the unwary victim rubbing
its juices into the skin of the face
while wiping off the sweat engendered
by warm days tramp in the woods.
Attracted by its pretty trifoliated
leaves. which, in the spring especially,
have many bright tints, one is pretty
sure to gather some to s'pressp as
souvenirs. Not much attention is
paid, as rule, to the abundant sap
that exudes from the broken stem,
. sap that, by the way, will be seen to
stain anything white an indelible
black. One goes on completing
collection, and now and then using his
handkerchief vigorously. In this way
the poison Is rubbed in. and few hours
afterward the fun commences. In the
first place the eyelids begin to itch and
puffy feeling is felt under the skin
about them. Then, generally, the next
morning, when the victim awakes, he
finds some difficulty in getting his eye
lidssfar enough apart to take good
look at himself in the glass. Then,
when he does SO what q fright he
finds he looks like. Eyelids, cheeks.
forehead. lips. perhaps, swollen and
shiny. Eyes just seen peeping from
between a pair OF lids an inch thick,
and lumpy cheeks as though he had
been pounded in a brisk set-to with
some tistic scientist at the California
Athletic Association. Added to this is
an intolerable itching that drives one
frantic. Bathing the face in cold
water feels good under these circum-
stances. but when dry again something
cold cream, glycerine, vaseline,
tallow, sweet oil, anything of the kind
lis applied freely and hastily.
The end is not yet, for the swelling
goes on and little pustules begin to
form. each one of which itches most
horribly. The wrists are often at
tackled, and being chafed, are soon SUR
rounded by ring Of irritating little
bllstars. Then they appear between
the fingers, are found on the ears, ex-
tend In some cases to the whole body,
and hang on most persistently for a
week or more.
Of course, remedies so-called are
freely applied, and the writer, during
siege from which no has Just re-
severed, tried the following, all of
which were recommended by those
who had "tried 'em:n Bathing in boil
ing water, and ditto in water that was
IS '.cold as ice;" applying an emulsion
of honeysuckle leaves "a Chinese |
remedy; hot saleratus water; two or |
three ''patent" remedies and the free |
application of glycerine. Under this
treatment the swelling finally began to
iubside and his friends began to recog-
aize him again. His was not what |
may be called a '.bad" case-that is,
It was not considered so by one man
who told him that he once washed his |
anderclothes-he was prospecting all
alone--and hung them unwittingly ON |
. bash of this oak to dry while he sum
ned himself on the bank. Finally he |
resumed his undershirt and drawers
and In few hours thought he was ain |
he'll" His condition can be better |
imagined than described.
As has been said previously, somel
are not affected. aud others claim
that they have become ..used to it,"
inoculated, as it were and no longer
dread it. The Mexicans believe that
II one chews the leaves, especially in
the spring, when the poison is the
most violent. the poison will never
affect them. Perhaps not. but have
found no one yet who has tried this
Those who are SUPER
sensitive to the poison will be affected
by passing near tree even. The
poison has never been isolated as vet