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Old 04-05-2003, 02:20 PM
Tsu Dho Nimh
 
Posts: n/a
Default Oleander/toxicity revisited

(Lou Minatti) wrote:

So before I kill my Oleanders (and Azaleas, WHICH ALSO CONTAIN DEADLY
POISON AND CAN KILL YOU IF YOU EAT ENOUGH OF THEM!!!!) to protect
them, can someone point out the number of people who have actually
been killed by ingesting the required 40+ leaves from an Oleander,


And the foxgloves!

Sri Lanka - oleander poisoning accounted for 798 admissions to
hospital and 33 (4.1%) deaths over a 21 month period. However,
it was a suicide ward. Examples include a 16 year old girl who
died after eating oleander seeds because her mother said she
could not watch television.

which tastes extremely bitter and nasty? Has ANYONE been killed say,
within the past 100 years? Genuine statistics, please. Thanks.


Lots of livestock ... horses, cows, llamas are all suceptible.

from e-medicine.com:
Mortality is rare, but case reports documenting fatalities from
oleander, foxglove, squill, and other related plants do exist. In
1998, the AAPCC reported 1 death and 2,553 exposures to cardiac
glycoside-containing plants. Death occurred after an intentional
parenteral injection of oleander extract. (extract, not leaves)

The chances would be higher if the leaves were mistakenly used
in a tea or othe4r herbal preparation


Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré