Date: Tue, 02 Feb 1999 09:52:05 PST From: "Richard Jenkins" <r_c_jenkins@hotmail.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg302$foo@default> Subject: Re: Allergies and CP
David and All,
>Plants can also cause simple primary chemical irritation similar to
>skin
>damage produced by acids. Plant examples here are buttercups, >daphne,
and
>peppers. I'm guessing that this is the basis of pepper sprays >causing
of
>eye irritation.
>My guess is that you are experiencing a contact allergic reaction
>similar to
>poison ivy. It would be interesting if someone could collect enough
>Drosera dew to use a microprobe to measure the pH.
The pH of the mucilage of Drosera capensis is reported to be 5.0 in _The
Carnivorous Plants_ by Juniper et al. I don't think this would be
sufficient to damage human skin in the short term. Drosophyllum on the
other hand is reported to have a pH of 2.5-3.0. I wouldn't want any of
that in my eye!
Richard Jenkins
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