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--Boundary_(ID_AFtwE1QZS8snGqZS22bqpQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable I should have seen this: the references gives in the Wikipedia article = on urushiol cite several studies showing that juice of the jewelwood = does not help with poison-ivy rash caused by urushiol. On Aug 30, 2010, at 8:59 PM, Paul S. Boyer wrote: > Yes, I have heard this about jewel-weed, but have never tried it. It = puzzles me that such a common belief would not be tested, but I know = that I never tried it just because I suffer badly from poison ivy, and = don't wish to try a poorly controlled test. >=20 > What we do know is that poison ivy and some of its relatives have an = oil called urushiol (see article in the great Wikipedia). This oil = chemically attaches to skin and other tissue, and causes them to appear = to the immune system to be alien material. The poison-ivy reaction is = thus an auto-immune allergic reaction. It tends to get more violent = with more exposure: you do not build up a resistance, rather you build = up an increasing sensitivity. Thus having small exposures to poison ivy = sensitizes you for an eventual larger exposure, which could put you out = of commission for a week, and could be painful and messy. >=20 > As for habitat, poison ivy can grow almost anywhere: woods, clearings, = sandy soil, or loam. It is very hard to fight, and in some places, the = battle is hopeless. However, for some reason there is not too much = poison ivy in Nova Scotia. This just means that we have a chance to = kill it off in small patches before it spreads. >=20 > Once it is established, you will not be able to go into a wild area = except on wide, mowed trails =97 and people will have to be employed in = keeping those trails clear, and they will be exposed in so doing. You = will never again be able to walk on you property in bare feet. Whenever = you work out doors, you will have to be almost paranoid in alertness, in = order to avoid exposure. You will have to control children from being = exposed, and teach them not to roam outdoors. What kind of life is = that? Pets will carry the oil on their fur, so just by petting you dog, = you will be exposed. >=20 > I tell you, poison ivy is one of nature's little mistakes, at least = from our point-of-view. Though not as deadly, it is like malaria, or = botulism: the world would be better off without it. >=20 > Some books say birds eat the seeds of poison ivy, and deer enjoy = eating the leaves. Well, birds can eat other seeds, and not help spread = seeds of poison ivy. As for deer, they will eat most anything (except = Andromeda), so chances are they can eat whatever else grows after the = poison ivy is eliminated. >=20 > I was exaggerating just a little about using atomic weapons on poison = ivy, but if it were possible, I would go for it! ;-) >=20 >=20 > On Aug 27, 2010, at 4:31 PM, Anne Woolaver wrote: >=20 >> Hi all, >> =20 >> I was told years ago (by someone who I imagine would know) that a = useful remedy plant for poison ivy is jewelweed, which -- I was also = told -- may often be found growing conveniently close by poison ivy = stands. Not sure whether you squeeze the leaf juice onto affected parts = or ?? Has anybody else heard this? >> =20 >> A. Woolaver >> =20 >> > From: soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca >> > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> > Subject: [NatureNS] Re: Poison Ivy >> > Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:18:26 -0300 >> >=20 >> >=20 >> > Nuke Poison Ivy (PI)? That may be a slight over-reaction. What = surprises=20 >> > me is that PI (Toxicodendron radicans) is included in the Atlantic = Coastal=20 >> > Plain Flora, as per the N.S. Nature Trust's "Guide to the Atlantic = Coastal=20 >> > Plain Flora of Nova Scotia" (2005), in spite of its wide range in = Eastern=20 >> > Canada and U.S. Could someone comment? >> > I continue to be surprised by how many outdoorsy people cannot = identify=20 >> > it in the field, in spite of having spent years in the out of = doors. >> > In a recent medical article I've read that 80 % of the population = is=20 >> > allergic to the above species. Sadly, there was no indication of = the source=20 >> > of this tidbit of information. Which population? I suspect that the=20= >> > percentage refers to the fraction of the population who become = allergic=20 >> > following repeated physical contact with the plant. >> > Dusan Soudek=20 >> >=20 >=20 --Boundary_(ID_AFtwE1QZS8snGqZS22bqpQ) Content-type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><head></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I = should have seen this: the references gives in the Wikipedia article on = <b>urushiol</b> cite several studies showing that juice of the jewelwood = does not help with poison-ivy rash caused by = urushiol.<div><br><div><div>On Aug 30, 2010, at 8:59 PM, Paul S. Boyer = wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: = space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Yes, I have heard this = about jewel-weed, but have never tried it. It puzzles me that such = a common belief would not be tested, but I know that I never tried it = just because I suffer badly from poison ivy, and don't wish to try a = poorly controlled test.<div><br></div><div>What we do know is that = poison ivy and some of its relatives have an oil called <b>urushiol</b> = (see article in the great Wikipedia). This oil chemically attaches = to skin and other tissue, and causes them to appear to the immune system = to be alien material. The poison-ivy reaction is thus an = auto-immune allergic reaction. It tends to get more violent with = more exposure: you do not build up a resistance, rather you build up an = increasing sensitivity. Thus having small exposures to poison ivy = sensitizes you for an eventual larger exposure, which could put you out = of commission for a week, and could be painful and = messy.</div><div><br></div><div>As for habitat, poison ivy can grow = almost anywhere: woods, clearings, sandy soil, or loam. It is very = hard to fight, and in some places, the battle is hopeless. = However, for some reason there is not too much poison ivy in Nova = Scotia. This just means that we have a chance to kill it off in = small patches before it spreads.</div><div><br></div><div>Once it is = established, you will not be able to go into a wild area except on wide, = mowed trails =97 and people will have to be employed in keeping those = trails clear, and they will be exposed in so doing. You will never = again be able to walk on you property in bare feet. Whenever you = work out doors, you will have to be almost paranoid in alertness, in = order to avoid exposure. You will have to control children from = being exposed, and teach them not to roam outdoors. What kind of = life is that? Pets will carry the oil on their fur, so just by = petting you dog, you will be exposed.</div><div><br></div><div>I tell = you, poison ivy is one of nature's little mistakes, at least from our = point-of-view. Though not as deadly, it is like malaria, or = botulism: the world would be better off without = it.</div><div><br></div><div>Some books say birds eat the seeds of = poison ivy, and deer enjoy eating the leaves. Well, birds can eat = other seeds, and not help spread seeds of poison ivy. As for deer, = they will eat most anything (except <i>Andromeda</i>), so chances are = they can eat whatever else grows after the poison ivy is = eliminated.</div><div><br></div><div>I was exaggerating just a little = about using atomic weapons on poison ivy, but if it were possible, I = would go for it! ;-)</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Aug = 27, 2010, at 4:31 PM, Anne Woolaver wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; = font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; = orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; = widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div = class=3D"hmmessage" style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; ">Hi = all,<br> <br>I was told years ago (by someone who I imagine would = know) that a useful remedy plant for poison ivy is jewelweed, which -- I = was also told -- may often be found growing conveniently close by poison = ivy stands. Not sure whether you squeeze the leaf juice onto = affected parts or ?? Has anybody else heard this?<br> <br>A. = Woolaver<br> <br>> From:<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><a = href=3D"mailto:soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca">soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca</a><br>>= ; To:<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br>>= ; Subject: [NatureNS] Re: Poison Ivy<br>> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 = 16:18:26 -0300<br>><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Nuke Poison Ivy = (PI)? That may be a slight over-reaction. What surprises<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> me is that PI = (Toxicodendron radicans) is included in the Atlantic Coastal<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Plain Flora, as = per the N.S. Nature Trust's "Guide to the Atlantic Coastal<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Plain Flora of = Nova Scotia" (2005), in spite of its wide range in Eastern<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Canada and U.S. = Could someone comment?<br>> I continue to be surprised by how many = outdoorsy people cannot identify<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> it in the field, = in spite of having spent years in the out of doors.<br>> In a recent = medical article I've read that 80 % of the population is<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> allergic to the = above species. Sadly, there was no indication of the source<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> of this tidbit of = information. Which population? I suspect that the<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> percentage refers = to the fraction of the population who become allergic<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> following repeated = physical contact with the plant.<br>> Dusan Soudek<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><br></div></span></blockquote= ></div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_AFtwE1QZS8snGqZS22bqpQ)--
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