Padmini ji most of the Euphorbiaceae plants with latex are poisonous for humans and if goes in the eyes would lead to vision problems. Quite a few of the Euporbiaceae otherwise have medecinal uses and are significant for oil, fuel, energy and other economic uses.
regards, Rashida. On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 7:03 AM, Padmini Raghavan <[email protected]> wrote: > I found this excerpt from the net quite alarming. > > > > *Euphorbia tirucalli* (also known as *Firestick Plants*, *Indian Tree > Spurge*, *Naked Lady*, *Pencil Tree*, *Sticks on Fire* or *Milk > Bush*)(Sanskrit: > सप्तला saptala, सातला satala,Marathi : sher-kandvel शेर-कांडवेल) is a > shrub <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Shrub> that grows in > semi-arid<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Semi-arid> > tropical <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Tropical> > climates<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Climate> > . > > It has a wide distribution in Africa, being prominently present in > northeastern, central and southern Africa. It may also be native in other > parts of the continent as well as some surrounding islands and the Arabian > peninsula and has been introduced to many other tropical regions. Its status > in India is uncertain. It grows in dry areas, and is often used to feed > cattle or as > hedging.[1]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-iucn-0>It > is well known in Sri Lanka where it is called > Sinhala <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Sinhala_language>: නවහන්දි Navahandi > [3]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-2>in > Sinhalese <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Sinhala_language>. > > Milk bush is a hydrocarbon > plant<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Hydrocarbon_plant>that produces a poisonous > latex <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Latex> which can, with little effort, > be converted to the equivalent of > gasoline<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Gasoline>. > This led chemist <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Chemist> Melvin > Calvin<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Melvin_Calvin>to propose the exploitation > of milk bush for producing oil. This usage is > particularly appealing because of the ability of milk bush to grow on land > that is not suitable for most other crops. Calvin estimated that 10 to 50 > barrels of oil <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Oil> per acre was achievable. > It has also been used in the production of rubber, but this was not very > successful.[1]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-iucn-0> > > Milk bush also has uses in traditional > medicine<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Complementary_and_alternative_medicine>in > many cultures. It has been used to treat cancers, excrescences, tumors, > and warts in such diverse places as > Brazil<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Brazil>, > India <https://mail.google.com/wiki/India>, > Indonesia<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Indonesia>, > Malabar <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Malabar> and > Malaysia<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Malaysia>. > It has also been used as an application for > asthma<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Asthma>, > cough, earache, neuralgia <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Neuralgia>, > rheumatism <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Rheumatism>, toothache, and warts > in > India.[4]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-3>There > is some interest in milk bush as a > cancer <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Cancer> treatment. However Euphorbia > Tirucalli has been associated with Burkitt's > lymphoma<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Burkitt%27s_lymphoma>and thought to be a > cofactor <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Cofactor_(biochemistry)> of the > disease rather than a treatment > [5]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-4> > > In the 1980s the Brazilian national > petroleum<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Petroleum>company > Petrobras <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Petrobras> began experiments based > on the ideas that Calvin put forth. > [edit<https://mail.google.com/w/index.php?title=Euphorbia_tirucalli&action=edit§ion=1> > ] First aid > > The milky sap contained in this plant is corrosive and extremely toxic. > Contact with skin causes severe burning; contact with the eyes may cause > severe pain, and may cause temporary blindness for up to 7 days. For eye > exposures, flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical > attention. Over-the-counter antihistamines may provide relief for sensitive > patients. Symptoms may worsen over 12 hours. If swallowed, may cause burning > to mouth, lips, and tongue. Deaths have been recorded from swallowing the > sap and, if swallowed, one should seek medical attention. If one still shows > symptoms of rash after 10 days or more, it can be assumed that the rash will > enduring the remainder of the infected person's life. Similar to the common > STD herpes. > > Regards, > > Padmini Raghavan. >
