On the action of Rhus venenata and Rhus toxicodendron upon the human skin / by James C. White.
- James Clarke White
- Date:
- 1873
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: On the action of Rhus venenata and Rhus toxicodendron upon the human skin / by James C. White. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![Dr. Bigelow states, in his “ Medical Botany,” that he has known persons to he poisoned in the winter, when the wood of Ehus venenata was burned upon the fire. Whether in these cases the poisoning was produced by the exhalations of the burning wood or by contact while handling it by the fireside, he cannot positively say. I was curious to know how long dried specimens in the herbarium might retain their poisonous properties, and, for this purpose, wrote to Prof. Gray, who very kindly replies as fol- lows : “ Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass., ) October 21, 1872. ] “Dear Doctor: My personal knowledge tliat rims dried specimens are harmless amounts merely to this: I handle over and over dried speci- mens with impunity, but am very sensitive to the fresh plant. Then the poison is volatile, as shown by its affecting persons who do not touch it actually; that of the leaves, I should say, must escape and dry out in the drying process, or in the course of time. In a stem it would not volatilize so soon, but I should not expect to he poisoned from any old herbarium specimen, either from twigs or leaves ...” Thus not only the leaves, but the wood and bark, contain the virulent principle at all seasons, and the fruit also possesses poisonous properties when swallowed. The time required for the development of the visible mani- festations of the poison upon the skin, after contact with the plant or its emanations, or its period of apparent latency, seems to vary greatly. In his “ Genera,” Gray says, “ The symptoms begin several hours after exposure.” Dr. Bigelow, in his remarks on E. venenata, says, “ The effects show them- selves upon the skin generally within eight hours.” My own observations do not agree with these as to the rapidity of its action. In my own case, above recorded, at least forty-eight hours passed before any thing was felt or seen upon the parts to which E. venenata was applied. It may be properly sug- gested, in explanation of such delay, that my skin is not easily acted upon by the poison. This is true, but my other observa- tions concern patients, that is, persons especially susceptible to its action, and I find on reference to my record-book that three days, foui1 days, and five days, are repeatedly given by them as the interval between contact and the appearance of an erup-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22457793_0026.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
