The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-05-20
Some Irrit0nt
House Plants

S-&-e-4--e-&--o-4-e-o
Every one knows enough to give poison
Ivy wide berth. and the sufferer from
hay fever understands only too well what
particular plants have an irritant action
on his mucous membrane. 1t Is not 80
generally known however, that plants
usually regarded as harmless, even such
as are commonly grown indoors for dec
oration, occasionally poison those who
come in contact with them. An article
contributed to Cosmos (Paris) gives
number of instances of this kind. The
writer notes some instances where dis
ease is due to the presence of animals.
He writes:
Several years ago there was noted at
Paris an infectious disease communicated
to man by parrots. and named psittaco-
Sis. This affection, which was very
often fatal. Is somewhat similar to ty-
phoid fever, but has sufficiently clear
characteristics to make 1t distinct There
are few animals that have not the power
Of communicating some disease to man.
from the domestic dog, that may give
him hydrophobia or tapeworm to the
rats of our cellars that disseminate the
plague, and to our cows, which so often
suffer from tuberculosis. l shall only
mention insects. such as flies that prop
agate malignant pustules, and mosqui-
toes that may inoculate malaria and
many other parasitic affections. especial
ly In Africa.
eve may live far from stables, keep no
dogs or birds. and wage war Of ex-
termination against rats and parasitic
Insects. This, however. Is not enough for
the hygienists. These enemies Of the
poetic will not allow us to place IN our
windows bird cages or flower pots House
plants, or at any rate considerable
number of them, are dangerous, and are
accused of causing skin diseases.
I'VE already know the irritating prop
critics of the nettle and those OF the
clematis of the hedges, called also beg
gars weed because professional mendi-
cants are in the habit of producing with
the leaves superficial eruptions that gain
for them the sympathy of compassionate
hearts. A large number of plants have
the power of producing effects OF the
same kind. and we see chronic eczemas
brought on by house plants
IN. Dubreuilh, in a memoir published
in the Bordeaux Medical Journal, recalls
a number of cases of dermatitis caused
fered from violent attacks of eczema in
the right hand every spring for nine
years was relieved when he excluded
these plants from his house.
mot less curious Is the case. published
by Retzdorff, of a woman who had every
year from 1894 TO 1901 in the latter part
OF October a violent eruption on the
hands and face, which did not yield TO
treatment and would not disappear till
spring This lady always received as a
birthday present on Oct. . several pots
of China primrose (Primula obc0nia).
which she cared for herself until spring.
when they were set out in the garden.
The removal of the primroses caused the
eruption to disappear.
man, who, having received plant OF
China primrose. cultivated 1t and suffered
an acute eruption Of the forearm and
face with Inflammation of the eyes and
eyelids. In this case, and in others that
have been reported, the Inflammation
caused by the primroses was localized In
the hands and face Nevertheless, 1t Is
not always SO. Pfzza has observed an
eruption on the chest Of lady who had
carried on her person a BOUQUET OF Prip-
ula obconia. Kirke attended a lady who
had habit of biting off and eating prim-
rose blossoms and who had acute sores on
the lips and In the mouth.
'Primroses are not the only house
plants capable of causing such eruptions-
mich Medical Weekly. M Hoffman,. as
sstant to Prof. Lesser of Berlin reported
that a woman, after having spent six
hours in cutting chrysanthemums. was
the same kind, observed by Hoffmann,
was that OF a waiter In restaurant.
who, after having crushed between his
fingers a leaf of arbor vitae (Thuya occi-
dentalis) touched his face. Soon he was
attacked by an eruption on the face and
hands which it took ten days to cure.
In his article, NJ Dubreuilh cites also
several species OF Rhus. which are used
in America as house plants on account
of their fine foliage Some people cannot
even touch these without being attacked
by eruptions. These cases are worth not
ing. They constitute. however, excep-
tions and are rare. A special predisposl-
tion is necessary. Those who are af-
tinue to keep flowers. They should touch
them as little as possible. and when the
eruption takes place. washing 1t with al
cohol to dissolve the irritant matter and
then with soap and water will soon stop
the smarting and shorten the duration OF
the malady, Translation made for the
Literary Digest.
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