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Ingesting Poison From
Plants
Ingesting poisonous plants can lead to death. Do not eat any
plant unless you have positively identified it first. If you are
not absolutely positive the plant is safe, eat something else
that you can be sure about its safety.
Symptoms of ingestion poisoning can include nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, abdominal cramps, depressed heartbeat and respiration,
headaches, hallucinations, dry mouth, unconsciousness, coma, and
death.
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I'm not
sure...
If you suspect plant poisoning, try to remove the poisonous material from
the victim's mouth and stomach as soon as possible. If the victim is
conscious, induce vomiting by tickling the back of his throat or by giving
him warm saltwater. If the victim is conscious, dilute the poison by
administering large quantities of water or milk. Then take the victim to
the hospital at once.
The following plants can cause death
through poisoning by ingestion.
Do NOT consume these plants in any
form: (See images below)
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Castor Bean
Chinaberry
Death Camas
Lantana
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Manchineel
Oleander
Pangi
Physic Nut
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Hemlocks
Rosary Pea
Nightshade
Strychnine Tree
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Appearance
Many poisonous plants look like their edible relatives or like other
edible plants. For example, poison hemlock appears very similar to
wild carrot.
Seasons of Growth
Certain plants are safe to eat in certain seasons or stages of
growth but poisonous in other stages. For example, the leaves of the
pokeweed are edible when it first starts to grow, but they soon
become poisonous.
You can eat some plants and their fruits only when they are ripe.
For example, the ripe fruit of May apple is edible, but all other
parts and the green fruit are poisonous.
Edible Parts
Some plants contain both edible and poisonous parts; potatoes and
tomatoes are common plant foods, but their green parts are
poisonous.
Raw, Wilted, or Dried
Some plants become toxic after wilting. For example, when the black
cherry starts to wilt, hydrocyanic acid develops. Specific
preparation methods make some plants edible that are poisonous
raw.
Learn to identify and use plants before a survival situation. Some
sources of information about plants are pamphlets, books, films,
nature trails, botanical gardens, local markets, and local
natives.
Gather and cross-reference information from as many sources as
possible, because many sources will not contain all the information
needed.
Once you have decided where your survival retreat or bug out
location will be, familiarize yourself with the plants of that area,
even if you've lived in the area for year or decades.
Do your research, this page
offers only a small fraction of what you need to know to survive in
the wilderness.
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Avoid Poisonous Plants
Be able to positively identify plants by sight and know their uses or
dangers. If you have little or no knowledge of the local vegetation, do
not consume them. Be prepared, educate yourself, before your life depends
on surviving off of wild plants as a food source.
Avoid all mushrooms.
Mushroom identification is very difficult and must be precise, even more
so than with other plants. Some mushrooms cause death very quickly. Some
mushrooms have no known antidote. Two general types of mushroom poisoning
are gastrointestinal and central nervous system. Do not try to use
mushrooms in your survival diet unless you have previously successfully
harvested wild mushrooms for food.
Steps to follow if it is
suspected a person has eaten an unidentified mushroom:
1. Do not panic. Although most mushrooms are not poisonous, every case of
eating an unknown mushroom should be taken seriously. Onset of symptoms
may be delayed a day or more.
2. Call your doctor and follow instructions or go to the emergency room of
a hospital. If this is not possible, induce vomiting if there are to be
any delays, over twenty minutes. Many pediatricians recommend that
parents keep emetics (Ipecac) on hand for such emergency cases of
poisoning.
3. Collect as many of the kind of mushroom that was eaten as possible. Be
sure to collect all of the mushroom including the base that may be buried
in the ground. Place them in a paper bag (not a plastic bag!) or cup,
small box, or roll them up in waxed paper. Avoid crushing.
4. If the person has vomited, collect all vomited material and store in
the refrigerator until it can be taken to the doctor or appropriate person
for identification.
A good reference on this subject is the Handbook of Mushroom Poisoning:
Diagnosis and Treatment. D. G. Spoerke and B. H. Rumack, eds. 1994. CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL. 456
Don't eat wild mushrooms to begin
with unless sure of identification.
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Poisonous plants - alphabetical order:
Amaryllis, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Black Nightshade,
Buttercup, Butterfly Weed, Calla Lily, Calamondin, Caladium,
Carnation, Carolina Jasmine, Castor Bean, Chinaberry, Chinese
Tallow, Christmas Berry, Cyclamen, Daffodil, Daisy, Daphne,
Deadly Nightshade, Devils Ivy, Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane,
Elderberry, Elephant Ears, English Holly/Ivy, Eucalyptus,
Eyebane, Foxglove, Golden Chain, Holly Berry, Horsechestnut,
Hyacinth, Hydrangea Blossom, Iris, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Jerusalem
Cherry, Jimson Weed, Juniper, Lantana, Larkspur, Laurel,
Lily-of-the-Valley, May Apple, Mistletoe, Moonflower, Morning
Glory, Needlepoint Ivy, Oleander, Oxalis, Peace Lily,
Philodendron, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, Pokeweed,
Potato Plant, Pothos, Pyracantha, Rhododendron, Rhubarb, Sand
Begonia, Skunk Cabbage, Spathe Flower, String of Pearls, Tomato
Leaves, Tulips, Violet Seeds, Water Hemlock, Wild Carrots, Wild
Cucumber, Wild, Parsnip, Wild Peas, Wisteria, Yew
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Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis from plants will usually cause the most trouble in the
field. The effects may be persistent, spread by scratching, and
particularly dangerous if there is contact in or around the eyes.
The principal toxin of these plants is usually an oil that gets on the
skin upon contact with the plant. The oil can also get on equipment and
then infect whoever touches the equipment. Never burn a contact poisonous
plant because the smoke may be as harmful as the plant. You have a greater
danger of being affected when you are overheated and sweating. The
infection may be local or it may spread over the body.
Symptoms from coming in contact with
poisonous plants may take from a few hours to several days to appear.
Symptoms can include burning, reddening, near maddening itching, swelling,
and blisters.
When you first contact the poisonous plants or when the first symptoms
appear, try to remove the oil by washing with soap and cold water. If
water is not available, wipe your skin repeatedly with dirt or sand. Do
not use dirt if you have blisters. The dirt may break open the blisters
and leave the body open to infection. After you have removed the oil, dry
the area. You can wash with a tannic acid solution and crush and rub
jewelweed on the affected area to treat plant-caused rashes. You can make
tannic acid from oak bark.
First Aid for Contact with Poisonous Plants
People who have come in contact with poisonous plants should do the
following. Note that this doesn't apply to poisonous plants that were
eaten:
* Immediately rinse skin with rubbing alcohol, specialized poison plant
washes, degreasing soap (such as dishwashing soap) or detergent, and lots
of water.
* Rinse frequently so that wash solutions do not dry on the skin and
further spread the urushiol.
* Scrub under nails with a brush.
* Use wet compresses, calamine lotion, or hydrocortisone cream to reduce
itching and blistering.
* Follow the directions on the medication. Do not apply to broken skin, or
open blisters.
* Oatmeal baths may relieve itching.
* An antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can be taken to help
relieve itching. Follow directions on the package. Drowsiness may occur.
* In severe cases or if the rash is on the face or genitals, seek
professional medical attention.
* Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room if the person is suffering a
severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, or has
had a severe reaction in the past.
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