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Some Timbers which cause Irritation of the Skin and Mucous Membrane. 
This is a subject concerning which little information has been systematically 
collected. I drew attention to the matter in the Agricultural Gazette for N.S.W., 
December, 1909, this being a second paper, Poison Ivy (Rhus), having been dealt 
with in the February issue. The Philippine Journal of Science, iv, 431, in dealing 
with “ Indo-Malayan Woods,” has some brief notes on Poison Woods, by P. W. 
Poxworthy, which supplements my notes. Dr. Foxworthy’s paper was not received 
in Sydney until. January, 1910. 
New South Wales and some other Australian States are rich in forests, 
and will become increasingly interested in the timbers of other nations for manu¬ 
facturing and structural purposes, as time goes on. 
I offer some notes which may have the result of causing deeper consideration 
to be given to the subject than it has hitherto received 
Me LI AC E/E. 
Dysoxylon Richii, C.DO. (D. alliaceum, Seem.), native name Maotamea, is 
found in several Polynesian islands. Dr. Punk, of Apia, Samoa, informs me that 
the sap or sawdust causes a kind of eczema on the hands, also eye inflammation, 
and a burning feeling in the throat. 
Dysoxylon Muelleri, Benth. (“Red Bean”).—This well-known furniture 
wood of New South Wales has been accused as follows :—Some cabinet-makers 
report that after working at it for “ four or five days they begin to suffer from a 
virulent form of influenza, accompanied by violent fits of vomiting and bleeding at 
the nose, while, if they cut themselves in handling the timber, blood-poisoning 
almost inevitably ensues. Remarkably enough, the more seasoned the wood is, the 
worse it becomes.” 
It appears to me that the language of exaggeration has been here employed. 
So far as I can glean, the wood, and particularly the sawdust, is exceedingly irritating 
to some people, and it has indeed, induced severe dermatitis, and also irritation of 
the mucous membrane. 
We have, of course, several species of Dysoxylon (of which D. Fraserianum 
is the most important) which produce commercial timbers in New South Wales. 
Chloroxylon Swietenia, DC. (“ Past Indian Satin-wood.”) 
Some time ago reference was made to the irritant properties of East Indian Satin-wood (Chloroxylon 
Swietenia) on the workers in that wood, and it has been alleged that it was partly responsible for an out¬ 
break of dermatitis among workmen employed at a saw-mill in Scotland some years ago. We now observe, 
from the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, that an investigation of the constituents of the wood has been 
made at that institute, and the results have been recently communicated to the Chemical Society by 
Dr. Auld, of the Scientific and Technical Department. 
The wood contains a considerable amount of calcium oxalate, a peculiar protein compound, two 
inert resins, a yellowish-brown fixed oil, and a small quantity of an alkaloid. The oil does not appear to 
exert any irritant action on the skin. 
As it cannot be identified with any known substance, the alkaloid has been given the name 
Chlcroxylonine. (Indian Forester, xxxv (1909), 662.) 
