Yew Have Got To Be Kidding Me...!

[Chuck Ellis]

Interesting and glad you're alright now. I am lucky in some regards on allergies. Either I have alligator hide ( been accused of that many times) or I just have a good immune system. I can literally roll around in some good green sappy poison ivy, oak or sumac with no reaction at all. Nada. Dunno why. Always been that way best I can remember. Never had any of that yew wood so I can't say if it would get me or not. Main thing is you are better.

You are lucky with the poison ivy.... I can catch it just talking about it. My dad was like you though, he pulled a bunch of vines off the tree behind his smithy shop, not a sign of reaction... I climbed the tree a couple of weeks afterwards and broke out from belly button to my neck. My mom painted me with blue stone ointment what ever that is for a week or more and I peeled for a month afterwards.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

blue stone ointment

Well there's a new thing I learned today - Copper Sulfate will reportedly oxidize urushoil (poison ivy active ingredient).. Further research indicates that possibly so will manganese sulfate, and aluminum sulfate (which makes me wonder if other sulfates would also work.. or only metallic sulfates or .. it looks like maybe they have different active properties.. not sure). Of the three aluminum sulfate is probably the least toxic and readily available as alum..

Edit: blue stone ointment is copper sulfate possibly in a carrier such as linseed oil.

 

[Chuck Ellis]

Growing up as a share cropper's kid, we didn't have much and made do with what we had.... I've soaked in a wash basin filled with kerosene enough that likely you could light me like a wick.... if I stepped on a nail, into the kerosene, if I cut my hand, into the kerosene.... I had my first and maybe only tetanus shot when I joined the navy at 19.