A more recent less oily formula recommended for both mechanical and chemical protection is given as follows: Shellac, 13 parts; isopropanol, 31; linseed oil, 4; titanium oxide, 12; sodium perborate, 13; talcum, 20; and carbitol, 3 parts.
Sometimes cottonseed oil, olive oil, or petrolatum is applied as a protective ointment when contamination is anticipated. Later the oil must be completely removed by repeated washing.
Clothing, wearing apparel, and tools that have been contaminated are often difficult to handle without further danger of poisoning. Some who are more or less immune to poisoning often contaminate others by carelessness. Contamination on automobile door handles or on a steering wheel after a trip to the woods often causes prolonged cases of poisoning of persons who have not been near the plants. One of the most effective ways for decontaminating articles is by thorough washing through several changes of strong soap and water. Contaminated clothing should not be worn again until thoroughly washed. It should not be washed with other clothes, and care should be taken to rinse thoroughly any implements used in washing.
Dogs and cats can be decontaminated in the same manner; precaution should be taken, however, to avoid being poisoned in doing the washing. It is likely that most “dry cleaning” processes will remove any contaminant; but there is always danger that clothing sent to commercial cleaners may cause poisoning to unsuspecting employees.
Certain prophylactic inoculations for the prevention of ivy poisoning have been developed and used with limited success; such treatment, however, should be administered by a physician only. The theory that eating a few leaves of these poisonous plants will confer immunity is without foundation; it should not be attempted even as an experiment, because very serious poisoning is likely to result.
TREATMENT FOR POISONING[1]
[1] For a fuller description of treatments for poisoning see: United States Public Health Service, ivy and sumac poisoning. Pub. Health Rpts. Sup. 161 (rev.), 8 pp., 1943. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price, 10 cents.
There seems to be no absolute quick cure for ivy poisoning for all individuals, even though many studies have been made to devise effective remedies. Remedies may be helpful in removing the poisonous principle or rendering it inactive and for giving some relief from the irritation. Mild poisoning usually subsides within a few days, but if the inflammation is severe or extensive a physician should be consulted. Self-treatment also has other dangers, as the symptoms of ivy poisoning may be confused with those of other conditions and harm may be done by improper treatment. In all cases the safest procedure is to consult a physician.
Some tried remedies are effective on certain individuals and ineffective on others. Sometimes a person will find one remedy effective and later, to his surprise, get very little relief from it. A large number of patent medicine remedies of doubtful value are commonly offered for sale. The following are more or less standard measures that have been advocated by different individuals and found helpful in certain cases.