Re: Immune to Poison ivy
- To:
- Subject: Re: Immune to Poison ivy
- From: M* T*
- Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 00:32:18 -0400
Don't think there is any time of year it's not able to give you a
nice case of the blistery itches, Bill. But, just read somewhere
that the urishol (did I spell that right?) in the leaves (which is
what gets on your skin and causes the problem) is not as likely to
transfer to you if the leaves are intact and unbroken, tho'
'breakages' include damage by insects, etc. In early spring, new
leaves have a chance of being intact more than those who have been
around a while.
Even in the dead of winter you can get a case of P.I. from handling
the bare stems if you are sensitive to it.
You're right, being "immune" once or for years doesn't mean you are
gonna remain that way. True of a lot of things that can cause
contact dermatitis (which is what a case of P.I. is). For maybe 15
years I handled Euphorbia with my bare hands - no problems. This
spring, I got such a bad case of contact dermatitis from it I landed
in the emergency room - looked like I was auditioning for bozo the
clown with no need for make up and it required three weeks and meds
before I returned to my normal self.
Where plants with known irritant qualities are concerned, it's better
to use caution than suffer the consequences.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Blee811@aol.com
> Date: Friday, May 26, 2000 12:02 AM
>
> There also seem to be seasons in which the PI is not as infectious.
I think
> spring is one of them.
> Bill Lee
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