The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-04
Brace In. There.
LOOK OUTTOR THESE PLdNTs.
Poison Comes From the Touch and often
from the Air Tint IIas Swept Thcm.

From the Air That Has Swept Them.
one thing that the wise man does rot
do when on his summer vacation is 10
handle indiscriminatelv wild plants and
flowers which he may find In his wood
land Wandcrings. For the bOtanist. and
TO the average cOuntryman, certain plants
hang out their own danger signals, bit
the average city man on his vacation
DOESN'T recognize these signals until he
has learned by bitter experience that soft
and fuzzy tufts Of vegetation may be as
uncomfortable TO handle as red-hot stove
lids. and that the most velvety Of green
things is the one which biteih Ike SER
pent and stingeth like an ad Ter.
This year has been remarkably prolific
Of cases Of plant poisoning in this neigh
bOrhOOd, and every country drug store
has done "A big business I'm cooling lotions.
Perhaps IL is because wild vegetation has
grown more freely this year han in most
Summers. fOstercd by the early summer
warmth and sunshine, or perhaps the con-
ditiOn of the soil has been such as 10 in
fuse I'm the plants a peculiarly poisonous
quality. That Is ore Of the things that
scientific men are unable 10 say. just as
they fail TO tell why one man can handle
poison ivy with impunity. while another
of his own family, brought up under SINH
lar conditions. will suffer a bitter penalty
for merely passing near ~. This i5 true
of al poison Giants IN this region one
Of these plants. which show great luXuri-
ancc this year. ls the poison sumach,
whose scientific name is Rhus Nentuata.
Country bows know Dr. as swamp GDgWOOd.
poison dog. poison elder. and swamp sum-
ach. while in one locality in sylvania
10 is konWn as "Joncss cuss. probably
from 81 me local legend. IL is found I'm
sWampy regions all over the United states
and in this State IL is thick where the
valley streams spread into sNamps and
f1arshCs. Ia appearance IL is much like
the ordinary red sumach. the "sh0cmaKe'
~ the farmer, except that us tultS are
pale yellow instead or red. Its berries,
TOO. are greensh yellow. hut the tdwny
tufts form the most conspicuous warn
ing. They mean more than simple
Hands OF"
Danger: keep away IS he safest
Interpretation that can Poe given TO them
for contact is not essential tc being poi-
sonod by this plant. 4 curious instance
of the varying sUsceptulhtes of inherent
pcr-lns TO the poison sumach was allord-
cd last week by party OF fishermen M 40
went after black bass ia one OF the
streams that flow down from the SnaNan-
gunk Mountains. on the way 10 the
stream they passed through low corn
field fringcd with thickets OF small shFuis
and trees. one Of the party. who was
vprsfl i'm WOOdcraft, was about 10 Cai-
ton his companions against noNious
plants when his attention was called Joy
Il young New Yorker, well ahead, VINO
Look At the yellow, plumy stuff grow
ing on this tree
Look out Don't toucn thatI' cried
the other. ITS poisonous.
But the young man had already picked
a turf ard WAS holding it 10 his nose
smiling for its OdOr. From the broken
end there oiled" few drops Of sap whieh
fell upon his liehf coat Upon the adN lre
Of the wOOdsmar the New YORKER lnrlle4
over TO the stream and washed his face
and hands tiorouehly. The others fol-
lowed him. carefully avoiding the suhla H.
That night before tho party sot nome ihe
wOOdsman's face had hnsierei dhl sN"l-
len terribly. as had the faces of Two
others Of the party. although none pi IN
three had come in contact with the plant
The Young man who had eNpefimenied so
rfshly had one small blister on tue ehu
Of his nose. and that was an ne alntl-t
The Juice from the broken stem had ruin-
"a back where IL ftll ON his tl)thns, now
ever. and all efforts TO WASH out the Spots
proved futile The poisoned men were
laid up for several days lh great pam.
q'hcv Thought they had been poisoned be-
cause a lively breeze was hlOWlne from
the sumachs tc the spot az the creek
where they stood while the young New
Yorker was washing his face and hands.
HANDBAGS soaked i'm lead water are Tie
regular remedy OF the farmer WIG Tor
evyarp stmach. or poison ivy, poisoning.
I'm very severe cacs salt purEdllFes are
given 10 clear out tine system POISON
ivy Is hv no means so Niiultit as tht
s1irnach. nor is IL so likely 10 be handled,
bering along the ground or climbing on
fences and walls. Some persons are SO
susceptible TO it that walking near a hed
of IL will affect them severely. It's Bills
fers itch much as do mosquito bites, while
the swamp sumach burns Ike FIRE. There
are many varieties of poison ivy, but IN
this region II is safe rule 10 avoid light
green three-leaved iNios. and saler one
10 shun three-leaved ivy Of any color
The effects OF the ivy usually pass away
i'm two or three days, except IN cases or
great susceptibility. Some persons can
handle the ivy with impunity, ana II -
aid that Indians suffer no consequences
from contact with 1T. This ivy. winch
is also a form Of sumach, Is called IN
some regions poison oak. number OF
children I'm a charitable institution near
Tarrytown etc a quantity OF poison oar
root lat summer, thinking II was sweet
fag. ana before medical aid couid De Sc
cured five Of them were dead.
Least poisonous Of the poison pants
horea bouts is the singing nettle. IT D.
velvetv green plant. with broad lea' ~
projecting from "a stalk about t"y zee, III III
height The leaf IS lined with silau Si,i,i''
which are the things 20 De- hN0lut-i.
Its sting Is much Ike that or me oINl, iIy
humble bee and not as severe as nor
nets sting. still 30 Is sufficient 70 cause
N few moments unpleasani--ss.-
York sun.
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