Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-08-08
HOW TO KNOW POISON IVY.
Hints on Detecting the Plant and
Curiag Its Poisonous Effects.

Hints ON Detecting the Plant and
Curing Its Poisonous Effects.
Poison ivy grows wild throughout the
whole land. It's leaves are in threes.
smooth and shining on both surfaces,
with margins which may be toothed or
even. There are flowers in May and
June and fruit In the autumn-a
smooth, white. wax-like berry, says the
Boston Traveller.
The poison is nonvOlatile oil found
in I'll parts of the plant When it
touches the skin of susceptible per-
son 1t produces an eruption of an cry
sipelas-like nature. In severe cases the
point affected frequently becomes irrt-
tated year after year.
4 person is particularly susceptible
to the poison in warm weather, when
the blood is heated and the skin pores
are open. 1t is, however, dangerous at
all seasons, and some of the worst
cases Of poisoning have occurred in the
winter when woOdchoppers have been
persplring freely and have worked
amid Che ivy vines.
To relieve the Inflammation and dry
up the pustules powdered sugar of lead
dissolved In alcohol is highly recon-
mended. Tincture of grindella diluted
with three times It's bulk of water and
applied two or three times an hour will
check the spread of the eruption. A
solution of one part of hyposulphite of
soda to three of water applied con-
stautly to the affected place IL a good
remedy.
A doctor who has been poisoned
about eighty times says the poisonous
principle is a fixed oil soluble in alco-
hol and which IS precipitated by lead
subacetate; hence the use of lead salts
In Inflammation of the skin resulting
from the action of the poison Ivy oil is
rational, but the precipitated lead COM
pound must be removed from the skin,
as 1t is gradually decomposed and the
oil set free again to continue its irrI-
tant action.
The use of soap and water and a
good hand brush is the simplest way
Of getting rid of the oil. The action is
mechanical and perfectly efficient. Al.
cohol In full strength dissolves and re
moves the oil, but does not neutralize
It. Care should be taken lest the al
cohol with oil in solution flows over
part as yet unaffected, as 1t may cause
further eruption. The use Of olntments
and fatty substances is wrong, as they
serve to spread the irritant oil Of the
poison. Clothing that may have been
In contact with the plants will retain
and transmit the irritating quality. A
doctor says he has been poisoned by a
pair of shoes worn while collecting ivy
plants the previous year.
The Ivy plant is usually a climbing
or trailing shrub, but sometimes as
sumes an erect habit of growth On
the seashore along the Atlantic coast it
sometimes covers hundreds Of acres on
islands and spreads over large areas.
The trunk is buried out of sight below
the surface, and the branches rise erect
out of the sand like separate plants. In
such forms of ivy growth the poisonous
properties do not seem to be so power
full and active.
1t is not generally known that if
boiling water is poured on the plant
the vapors are often poisonous, and
that the smoke from a bonfire Of ivy
brush Is as dangerous to inhale as the
breeze which blows off the vines in
June.