William L. Rose wrote:

Jon,
I have no expertise in this area. All I know is that I'm growing a
garden next to where a pyracantha bush used to be and I am growing
tomatoes, cucumber, and parsely in amongst wild foxgloves and I'm here
to tell the tale.

All this, I think, it's a very good think, I would like to do the same.
Thanks for all your informations. I'm sorry I didn't want to criticize
you, perhaps I only asked too much questions! Really I am very
interested to know what I asked you! :-)

On the other hand, asbestos takes twenty years to
raise it's ugly head in the form of cancer. Life is inherently unsafe.
As long as I get my three score and ten, I will be a happy camper
(yikes! make that four score and ten).

Nature is a battle zone and it is full of disincentives, among them,
toxins. Fortunately, we have a liver whose function it is to protect us
from toxins in our food supply (such as lactating lettuce, and raw
mushrooms). Be prudent, but don't be paranoid.

This a very good advice, perhaps sometimes I'm a little paranoid, but
this answer was only for my uncle that is frequently really paranoid :-)))

I'm an agronomist too, but I don't know very good issues about toxins,
and frequently I ask myself something I don't know, so I decided to post
a message here.
I'm happy to verify my "collegues" are well learned also in scientific
issues, I would like sometimes to talk about them. Then, I hope here
could be a good place for it.

I'm sure that someone, somewhere has the knowledge that you look for.
Pharmaceutical companies have been analysing botanicals for a long time
and these days if they find anything interresting (something they can
make a buck on), they'll patent it. Start with the biology department at
a local college. Teachers usually go beserk when they find someone who
actually wants to learn.


Thanks; as I said befo All this is only for my uncle. He is a doctor
and as lot of them, a little paranoid. I hope what you said before could
be enough for him.

- Bill

Thanks
Jon