[Sca-cooks] Misletoe, Holly and other poisonous Christmas plants

[Tara]

I read an article in Veterinary Technician Journal (i.e, an actual
medical industry journal, not a mass-consumption publication) last
December about misletoe, holly and poinsettia - the three Christmas
plants traditionally considered to be poisonous to humans and pets.  The
article said that all will produce an upset tummy, but even for that you
have to eat a pretty hefty amount.  It's unlikely that a child or pet
would eat enough to cause harm, let alone the as-yet unproven death,
because they'd vomit first.  At worst, it said, it'll teach such
critters not to eat the greenery.

The article actually went into a history of the "knowledge" that these
plants are dangerous.  Turns out they weren't considered dangerous until
about the Victorian period, when anything that just plain wasn't good
for you began to be noted.  The authors said they were at a loss to find
a single example in medical or veterinary literature of poisoning, nor
in their own vet practices or those of any vet they interviewed could
they even find an example of a pet eating enough to be brought in for
nausea.

I found that article quite exciting, because I know so many people who
freak out if you have a poinsettia within reach of pet or child.
Relieves an awful lot of stress, I hope.  They basically wrote it
because they get a thousand calls every December - oh, my god!  The
poinsettia dropped some leaves and Fifi might have gotten one before I
saw to clean them up!  Help!

-Magdalena

"Decker, Margaret" wrote:
>
> Olwen said
> mmmmm...holly, misltoe and pine in the hall would be very nice IMO but not
> on the dessert table unless it is a faux-food.  I have seen folks come by
> our tables and try to eat the non-edibles because they are so used to the
> faux from us.
>
> Please  please don't mix the mistletoe and the marzipan copy on the same
> table. The berries of mistletoe are very bad for anybody but especially
> small children who may not be able to tell the difference. In fact it is
> best to keep mistletoe above the reach of most (like above a door or in the
> middle of the ceiling). Margarite
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing list
> Sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> http://www.ansteorra.org/mailman/listinfo/sca-cooks