夏天野草总是疯长，街边，石头缝隙，只要有些土的地方，这野草就热闹非凡，周末除草就是一件常常要做的家务事，我无知也没有太多的保护意识，总是徒手去拔草，每次拔草后，浑身会痒，总以为是蚊子或者什么虫咬的，洗个澡后也就没事了。前些天我看见屋旁的一块面积不大的地上，野草长得很高了，地方太小，除草器不方便，于是我就蹲下去，没戴手套就拔了起来，尤其拔掉了十几棵叶子锯齿形的野草（poison ivy 当时我不知道哎）。过了一天还是两天，早上醒来发现肚子上齐痒，有红点，我猜测谁咬了我，蜘蛛？蚊子？bedbug？



于是涂了国内带来的风油精，房间大清理，蚊虫咬的搽了风油精后，以往一两天就没事了，但这次越来越痒，两三个星期都过去了，红点越来越大，好像多了不少，像是在漫延，我刚看过一个documentary movie说是有些人不小心在野外被寄生虫钻进了皮肤，终身得病，痛苦万分。我害怕起来，我想我是不是也遭到了寄生虫的侵袭了，这不像是蚊子咬的，这奇痒还带着奇痛。后来到医院给医生一看，医生脱口而出：poison ivy.



我不懂什么是poison ivy，以为是什么虫子。医生问我，你是不是拔过草？是不是没带手套？我说是啊。我才明白poison ivy是weed。上面两张是我后来在房子后院拍的片片，这是poison ivy的一种。医生告诉我，poison ivy 是种很普遍的野生毒草，见土就长，会释放一种油质，这油有毒会渗进衣服触到皮肤感染发炎，奇痒奇痛，要很长时间才会好。医生让我到Walgreen买专药来涂。

我感到纳闷，我是用手拔的，没用肚子拔，为什么是肚子而不是手指感染了呢？我在网上找到了这个答案：

The rash can appear on different parts of the body at various times. This may happen because the parts were exposed at different times, or because areas with thicker skin are less easily penetrated by the oil. The delicate skin of the genital and perianal areas, for example, is more easily breached than tougher skin on the hands.

我拔草时可能在肚子上抓绕过，而拔草后进屋是马上洗了手的。

从医院回家后我买了这种药。说明上明确标明是针对poison ivy的。



每天3次，涂了一阵，果然有效，我看见红点开始发黑，不再向外扩大了，每天还是痒，但可以忍受了。我不敢再徒手拔草了，真不知道哪种草有毒，会冷不丁地咬你一口。

我古狗查了poison ivy的信息。Poison ivy中文叫毒藤，你徒手去拔时，会接触到the plant’s oily sap, urushiol（漆酚）. Poison ivy的stems, roots, flowers and berries all contain urushiol.下面是我在网上看到的一篇讲poison ivy的文章，直接copy过来。

“ (ZT) …Touching or brushing against any of these plant parts, even if they are dead, can cause a reaction. The sap is hardy and can cause a rash in the dead of winter, or even a year after contaminating clothing or shoes that are not thoroughly cleaned. Urushiol shows up elsewhere, including in the skin of mangoes (and the leaves and bark of the mango tree), as I discovered when I ate a mango still in the rind and ended up with a blistering rash on my mouth. Cashew shells also have the toxin, which is why cashews are sold shelled and processed (either roasted or in the case of “raw” cashews, steamed) at a temperature high enough to destroy urushiol. Poison ivy is not the only problem plant one might encounter while hiking, camping or simply strolling in the countryside. T. radicans has two relatives, poison oak and poison sumac, that don’t always form the classic clusters but are equally toxic troublemakers.

First, learn to recognize the plants in their various growth patterns. While poison ivy is most often encountered as a small ground plant, it also grows as a shrub and vine. The vines, which turn bright red in fall, were once used to adorn buildings in England.

Poison oak, which has compound leaves made up of three (or sometimes five) leaflets, usually grows as a shrub, but will form a vine in the Western states.

Poison sumac, which grows as a tall shrub or small tree, produces leaves with rows of paired leaflets and a single leaflet at the end. It likes a wet habitat, growing in peat bogs in the Northeast and Midwest and swamps in the Southeast.

Urushiol can penetrate cloth. Although long sleeves, pants and gloves can reduce the risk of exposure, they cannot guarantee protection. Even rubber gloves can be breached. If you must handle the plants or are likely to contact poison ivy when gardening, wear vinyl gloves.

You don’t have to touch the plant directly to react to urushiol. Gardening tools, sporting equipment, even a pet that has been in a patch of poison ivy — all can cause a reaction.

Before possible exposure, use an over-the-counter skin-care product containing bentoquatam (IvyBlock) to prevent or reduce absorption of urushiol. The combination of this barrier product and protective clothing is your best defense against an inadvertent encounter.

Contrary to popular belief, a poison ivy rash is not contagious. It cannot be spread by oozing blisters, or by scratching or touching the rash. Only direct contact with urushiol causes a reaction. (Scratching can result in an infection, however.)

Never try to burn a poison plant. Burning releases the toxin, which may land on skin or, worse, be inhaled and cause a serious internal reaction.

Should you contact a urushiol-containing plant, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your skin immediately. Lukewarm, soapy water is best, but even plain water can limit exposure to the sap. Take care in removing contaminated clothing, and wash it separately as soon as possible.

You can relieve a rash by applying cool compresses with an astringent like Burow’s solution, soaking the affected area in colloidal oatmeal, or using calamine lotion; all are sold over the counter. Do not apply products containing a topical antihistamine, like Benadryl, which can cause a sensitivity reaction that makes matters worse.

Severe reactions may require medically prescribed treatment with an oral corticosteroid like prednisone.”

我码字辛苦，你看完了也辛苦，轻松一下听首歌，看个老电影吧。