The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-02
SOAP and water
IS POISON IVY
Preventative

There have been many inquiries
received from citizens of Connecticut
in regard to poisoning from, and the
eradication of, poison ivy. This bull
fetin is issued that others may be as
sisted in carrying out the preventive
methods against ivy poisoning. The
material is largely taken from the
weekly report of the U. S. Public
Health Service dated February 20,
1920.
The poinson ivy vine is found in
many places in Connecticut, along
roadsides, or stone walls, in fields,
and in fact it adapts itself and flour
ishes in almost any soil. 1t is often
overlooked it interniingles with
other shrubbery and the unsuSpect-
ing individual handles it and is poi
soned. The symptoms appear from
few hours to four or five days after
contact with the ivy vines. The ivy
is. more poisonous in Ahe spring and
summer when the acrid juice of the
plant is most abundant
The leaves of all forms of poison
ivy are in threes, each leaf stalk
bearing three leaflets. The foliage is
beautiful red early in the spring,
becoming green in summer and in
the autumn turns to scarlet and Or
ange shades. The Virginia creeper is
for each leaf stalk bears from three
to five leaflets instead of three only,
as in the case of the ivy vine. In
addition, the creeper, being of the
grape family, bears small blue indeli-
BILE berries and has numerous ten
drills.
Prevention.
much can be accom- pliShed toward
the protection Of persons who come
1e-y,
in preventing or lesSening tAs diSas
trous effects following exposure. Toxic
nlants can usually be handled with
impunity if rubber gloves are worn,
provided none of the dust or irritat
ing material comes in contact with
the body
Zone of the surest and best meth
DDS of individual prophylaxis is the
use of soap and hot water. It has
been found that the Rhus poison af-
ter being deposited upon the skin
requires a certain time for penetra-
ton, and if this penetration can be
prevented, irritating and the result
ing eruption will not occur. Hot water
and soap act mechanically, and if
judiciousIy used constitute by far not
only the most serviceable preventive
but also one of the best curative
agents which we at present possess"
This may be followed by bathing
with salt water or a solution made
by dissolving one teaspoonfu1 of boric
acid in a. glass of hot water, apply
ing when it is cool A paste made
from bi-carbonate of soda and water
will often alleviate the trouble. "As
previously mentioned, the soap-and-
water treatment is distinctively cura-
tive in those cases where all of the
poison has not penetrated
Methods of Eradication.
Cd The most rapid and effective
method of dealing with isolated
, ciumps of poison ivy is simply to
grub them out, taking care to remove
thoroughly the running rootstocks,
| which if left in the ground would
soon produce another crop of plants
CD Kerosene has been recommend
| ed by the U. s. Forest Service to be
used where injury to other plants is
of no consequence 1t should not be
used near other valuable vegetation.
! The usefulness of the soil so treated
| is not long impaired and other plants
grow again within a year after the
soil is treated with kerosene.
CD Arsenic of soda can also be
used but it's poisonous and has the
| disadvantage of being injurious to
| small trees and vegetation and may
| render land useless for a prolonged
period. One or two pounds of sodium
| arsenite to 10 gallons of water is
the solution used.
| (4) A hot brine solution is also eff
| fective, using pou ads of salt per
| gallon of water. This must be repeat
| ed several times during the summer.
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