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Among the various plants known to be capable of producing dermatitis, the common mistletoe (Viscum album) has not been incriminated in any previous reports. Because it is widely used for decoration, it must only rarely be a source of dermatitis.
REPORT OF A CASE
Pvt. G. S., of the Eighty-First General Hospital, was one of a detail of men sent out to gather mistletoe for decoration of a dance floor. The next morning he reported at sick call showing on his face and arms streaks of vesicles, which are the indisputable mark of dermatitis due to a plant. In contrast to the usual detective work necessary in such cases, the patient volunteered the information that he was sensitive to mistletoe and that he had had eruptions from this source on previous occasions. Patch tests with leaves and berries of mistletoe produced a vesicular reaction to the leaves in twenty-four hours