Avoiding or treating poisoning from poisonus plants

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AVOIDING OR TREATING POISONING FROM POISONOUS PLANTS

The Standard First Aid Training Course contains an extensive section on a variety of poisons. However, it does not mention a type of poisoning to which survey parties are particularly exposed poisoning resulting from contact with poisonous plants. Poisoning of this kind is not likely to be fatal (although it can be, under certain circum-stances), but it can cause you a lot of misery and considerable reduction in on-the-job efficiency. The most common poisonous plants in the United States are POISON IVY (including a variety called poison oak) and POISON SUMAC, both of which occur everywhere in North America. These plants contain and exude a resinous juice that produces a severe reaction when it comes into contact with the skin of the average person. The first symptom of itching or a burning sensation may develop in a few hours or even after 5 days or more. The delay in the development of symptoms is often confusing when an attempt is made to determine the time or location where the contact with the plant occurred. The itching sensation and subsequent inflammation that usually develops into watery blisters under the skin may continue for several days from a single contamination. Persistence of symptoms over a long period is most likely caused by new contacts with plants or by contact with previously contaminated clothing or animals. Severe infection may produce more serious symptoms that result in much pain through abscesses, enlarged glands, fever, or other complications. Secondary infections are always a possibility in any break in the skin that occurs when the watery blisters break.

With poison ivy, the next development is usually the appearance of a scabrous, deep red rash over large skin areas. With poison, sumac, it is usually the appearance of large blisters, filled with a thick yellowish white liquid strongly resembling pus. When the blisters break, this liquid runs over adjacent skin areas and, thus, enlarges the area of infection.

The resinous juice exuded by these poisonous plants is almost entirely nonvolatile; that is, nonevaporating or will not dry up. Consequently, the juice may be carried on clothing, shoes, tools, or soil for long periods. In this way, it may infect persons who have actually not come into contact with the plants themselves. Individuals have, in fact, been severely infected by juice carried through air by smoke from burning plants. Other persons have been infected by resinous juice being carried on the fur of animals.

Figure 12-29.-Poison oak (leaves and fruit).

To avoid contact with the plants themselves, you must have an idea of what they look like. Poison ivy has a trefoil (three leaflet) leaf, as shown in figure 12-28. The upper surface of the leaflet has a shiny, varnished appearance. The variety called poison oak has a leaflet with a serrated, or lobed, edge like that of an oak leaf, as shown in figure 12-29. Ordinary poison ivy is

Figure 12-28.-Different varieties of poison ivy leaves.

usually a vine; poison oak, usually a bush. In the flowering season, both types produce clusters of small white berries.

Different varieties of poisonous sumac leaves are shown in figure 12-30. There are poisonous sumacs and harmless sumacs, and it is difficult to distinguish the leaf of one from the leaf of the other. The only way to tell the poisonous plant from the harmless one is by the fruit. Both plants produce a drooping fruit cluster. The difference lies in the color of their fruitsthat of the harmless sumac is RED; that of the poison sumac is WHITE. In other than the fruit season, it would be better to avoid contact with all sumacs.

There are no "do-it-yourself" remedies for plant poisoning; treatment must be by, or as directed by, professional medical personnel. How-ever, if you have reason to believe that you have been infected, you should wash thoroughly with water and an alkaline laundry soap. Do not use an oily soap (most facial soaps are oily) because this will tend to spread the juice. Lather profusely, and do not rinse the lather off, but allow it to dry on the skin. Repeat this procedure every 3 to 4 hours, allowing the lather to dry each time.

If job conditions make contact with plants unavoidable, wear gloves and long sleeve shirts and keep all other skin areas covered. When you remove your clothing, take care not to allow any skin area to come into contact with exposed clothing. Launder all clothing at once.