Subject: Re: Cactus stickers-glochids-HELP!

From: [email-masked] (James Morley)
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 18:19:35 GMT

Try looking in:

Mitchell, J. & Rook, A. 1979.  Botanical Dermatology. Plants and Plant Products 
Injurious to the Skin.  Greengrass: Vancouver, BC.

Lovell, C.R. 1993.  Plants and the Skin.  Blackwell: Oxford.

>From  what I recall they both have info.  By the way, an electronic version of the
former is now available (in development) at http://medusa.cf.ac.uk/ though I've 
found the connection a little temperamental.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Morley                           [email-masked]
Centre for Economic Botany
Royal Botanic Gardens                    Tel. (0)181 332 5719
Kew, Richmond                            Fax. (0)181 332 5278
Surrey   TW9 3AE
UK                          WWW  http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb
------------------------------------------------------------------------

In article <[email-masked]>, sabotage <[email-masked]> says:
>
>Glochids are tiny hairlike stickers found on many cholla and prickly 
>pear cactii.  When viewed from any distance they would appear to be 
>nothing more than fuzzy little bundles. These hairs are very 
>dangerous!  They range in size from microscopic to 5 mm.  Most of 
>them are clear.  Human body contact with glocids can lead to a
>horrible medical dilema.  They cause allergic reactions in many
>people due to the stickers themselves or due to the fungus that
>thrives on them.  Glochids can also be blown from the ground or
>off of the cactus and stick to your skin.  The slightest touch can
>then force them deeper into the skin.  They are very flimsy and 
>break apart when an attempt is made to remove them.  Glochids can
>remain in the human body for many years.  There are several 
>techniques for removing glochids from the skin, but none of them
>will assure 100 percent removal.  If you get into them, go to a
>doctor that has heard of them and has experience treating cactus 
>stickers in the skin. WASTE NO TIME GOING TO THE DOCTOR!  If you 
>wait too long the portion of the stickers above the skin will rub
>and break off, leaving a large portion in your body.  If you do not
>find a doctor that is knowledgeable on this subject it is HIGHLY 
>LIKELY THEY WILL SAY YOU ARE DELUSIONAL!  If this happens, FIGHT IT!
>The associated pain due to these nasty buggers, especially if you 
>have any type of sensitivity to them, will be horrifying to the
>extent that you may contemplate suicide to end the pain that the
>doctors have refused to treat, or not know how to treat.  Please 
>contact me if you know what a glocid is. I need help!  My e-mail
>address is [email-masked].
>   
>

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From: sabotage <[email-masked]>
Date: 3 Oct 1995 04:43:48 GMT

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From: Leslie Basel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 20:34:49 -0700

Our here in the southwest (Tucson, AZ), we have a fairly 
simple and effective way of getting rid of the small 
stickers/stiff cactus hairs that burrow into the skin.  

We either apply fresh scotch tape to the skin, then yank;
or apply a moderately thin layer of Elmer's glue to the 
skin, allow to dry, then peel off.  You are right, you had
better get them out in a timely manner, otherwise they
will drive you nuts.  Worse, the tape and glue tricks don't
work if the stickers are buried too deeply into the skin. 

I hope this is the type of information you wanted.  Good luck.

Leslie Basel
[email-masked]