Re: poison Oak ivy etc.

["Ed & Wendy Hauser" <sisufarm@mmmpcc.org>]

A reply to my last post motivated me to do some looking for good
information.  I found the following site:
http://www.palomar.edu./Wayne/ww0802 which seems to be pretty good.  Much of
the information is the same as other sites and it does reference a refereed
journal.
In summary:
1. The active ingredient urushiol is a group of very similar chemicals with
slight differences between species.  It is possible that a person could be
sensitive to only one or more sensitive to one of the variants, but not to
likely.
2. The time available to remove the sap of the plant from the skin is listed
as being 10 minutes to several hours in various sources.  I guess this
varies with individuals.  In any event the urushiol eventually bonds to skin
cells and starts the whopping big allergic reaction.
3. Some sources list my mothers favorite Fels Naptha (tm) soap as being
better than other soaps.  My personal experience bears this out, but I don't
have any theory as to why it works.
4. Modern authorities don't recommend oxidizing agents for treatment, but I
think they help me.  The cortisone recommended by doctors does nothing for
me.
Ed and Wendy Hauser
Sisu Farm
1140 37th St.
Hudson, WI 54016