VARNISH TREE. 
95 
bouring foliage. Like another species of this genus, 
its juice is of a poisonous nature; and Adanson tells 
us that its exhalations affect the skin, and cause 
red spots to make their appearance as in erysipelas. 
This author likewise says, that if the leaves are 
touched in the slightest manner, and the fingers af- 
terwards carried to the eyes or the mouth, very un- 
pleasant effects will be produced. This poisonous 
quality in the varnish tree is also mentioned by Mr. 
Dudley in the Philosophical Transactions. He de- 
scribes the tree as growing in the marshy grounds 
of America, and informs us that the inside of the 
wood is yellow, and full of a thick glutinous juice, 
which has a very rank and disagreeable smell. 
The scent only of this tree, when cut down in 
the woods, or burnt in the fire, has affected some 
persons very materially. The following instances 
by Mr. Dudley, which we shall relate in his own 
words, will be sufficient to give some idea of the 
nature of this vegetable poison. “ One of my neigh- 
bours was blind for above a week together with only 
handling it ; and a gentleman in the country, sit- 
ting by his fire-side in the winter, was swelled for 
several days with the smoke or flame of this wood. 
It has this effect only on some particular persons 
and constitutions ; for I have seen my own brother 
not only handle but chew it without any harm at 
all. And by the same fire one is poisoned, while 
another is not at all affected. However, this poison 
is never mortal, but goes off in a few days of itself ; 
yet generally we apply plantain water, or salad oil 
