Poison Sumac

POISON SUMAC, Rhus toxicodendron L., family Anacardiaceae-Rhoideae, a shrub or vine, growing wild in Japan and North America as far as Mexico, and cultivated in other countries. Its leaves are trifoliate, long-petioled, with leaflets egg-shaped, entire or serrated. The leaves are collected after the plant has finished flowering. The constituent parts of P. S. have not been determined with complete accuracy: Acree and Syme found a poisonous glycoside substance; Pfaif considers the active principle to be toxicodendrol; Maisch determined in fresh leaves a substance that irritates the skin—liquid toxicodendronic acid, and Kettere—toxicodendrin. Previously, leaves were used internally for rheumatism, bone pain, paralysis, and skin ringworm, but then their use was abandoned as completely useless. In homeopathic therapy, however, P. S. plays a prominent role. P. S. is of considerable interest from a toxicological point of view. If contact with any part of the P. S. plant causes injury to the plant and the sap that emerges from the wound (having the appearance of a whitish resinous emulsion) gets on the skin directly or through a carrier (clothing, stick, umbrella or other objects), that part of the skin becomes inflamed due to the effect of toxicodendrol on the vessels (Rost). The character of the inflammatory process in this case resembles eczematous inflammation complicated by an erythematous process. Inflammatory phenomena never occur immediately after contact with the plant, but appear after several hours or even days. Dermatitis usually occurs on uncovered parts of the body; sometimes on the genitals and in the anal region. Usually the inflammation is localized to limited areas, but sometimes it spreads to extensive areas of skin and takes a very severe form, causing anxiety, insomnia, tormenting itching, feverish condition and unbearable pain. Rost denies the property of the P. S. poison being absorbed. Cases have been observed (Naumann) of animals dying after eating fresh P. S. leaves. The effect of the poison through the air is completely excluded. To avoid the poisonous effect of P. S., it is necessary to prohibit the cultivation of P. S. as an ornamental plant; in botanical gardens where P. S. is grown for special purposes, signs reading "very poisonous plant", "contact with the plant is dangerous to health" etc. should be placed near the bushes; the attending personnel must be provided with special clothing, long and strong gloves and footwear; storage of all special clothing and washing must be done according to special rules. In case of contact with P. S., it is necessary to immediately wash well with hot water and soap using a soft brush the areas of skin that came into contact with P. S., after which thoroughly and sufficiently rub with a solution of lead acetate or a 2-3% solution of potassium permanganate, after which apply compresses with a solution of lead acetate to the same areas. Treatment with ointments is contraindicated. Schamberg believes that T-ra Toxi-codendri (1%), taken internally, protects people throughout the course of treatment from skin inflammation. The antigenic effect of P. S. extracts injected under the skin has not yet been proven (Strickler). Repeated skin lesions lead to immunity to this poison. There are several other species of sumac (Rhus), of which are very poisonous: R. venenata D. C., s. R. vernix L., R. vernicifera D. C.; from its sap the Japanese prepare the so-called Japanese lacquer, used to coat many fine Japanese items—boxes, shelves, etc.; sometimes owners of these things develop a blister-papular dermatitis, the source of which is Japanese lacquer. The poisonous R. coriaria grows in Southern Europe and in our Crimea; its leaves are rich in tannin (up to 13%), and in the bark there is a yellow dye substance, probably close to quercitrin or fisetin. The poisonous and non-poisonous species of S. mentioned above are mostly used for technical purposes.