Blood poisoning and blackthorn

[shei111]

Originally Posted by eeyore

i get blackthorned all the time at work in the scrub bashing season , and i agree scratches and splinters go septic - i one had one in the top part of my ear which inflated , turned red then burst spraying out about an egg cup full of greeny yellow pus (apologies to anyone who was eating when they read that )

so i think its fair to say that there is a blood poisioning risk - that said beyond going septic they dont tend to cause any long lasting effect (my ear is fine now) so i wouldnt panic if you already have blackthorn in your garden - just be sure to remove thorns and disinfect the puncture wound or scratch with an antiseptic wipe

Hello eeyore sounds like your ear was in a bad way a bit like my sons foot, im glad you come out and spoke of your experience with blackthorn as I had the feeling a WAB member didnt believe what I was saying and I certaintly have no reason to make a story up this was 21 years ago now. Glad you are better and no worse for wear. sheila

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

On last nights programme of gardeners world, they are helping a couple with a young child to create an organic garden. One of the gardeners on there said Blackthorn is not recommended for use in gardens as the thorns can give you blood poisoning.I planted 3 last year luckily I have not been pricked yet. Has anyone else heard of this.

There's a lot of confused statements in this thread, to a degree that might actually be dangerous.

Perhaps the biggest confusion is between on the one hand Septicaemia which is a condition where blood cells become infected by a bacteria, and on the other 'septic' infections of the skin. Septicaemia kills, it almost always requires urgent medical attention - it does not usually manifest in having a pussy wound - although such wounds may themselves lead to Septicaemia.

The belief that thorns specificaly can cause blood poisoning ( of course anything that penetrates the skin has the potential to do that) probably originates in the medieval practice of planting roses in graveyards - certainly the medieval belief was that a prick from rose thorn would cause blood poisoning - i.e death !

In any event, all of us should keep up to date with our tetanus shots, and neither blackthorn nor roses are more likely, or most importantly less likely to cause Septicaemia than any other wound - there's lots of bacteria out there sitting on every sharp object you are going to encounter.

CM

[ron1863]

I see an elderly woman died today, having pricked her finger on a rose bush.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I see an elderly woman died today, having pricked her finger on a rose bush.

Was it from tetanus?

Because then she died from Tetanus, not rose bushes.

Not trying to argue, but clarify.

But not good for her either way.

[Kayleigh]

Like everything else Common sense prevails.. I run this thread to get some common sense answers to a "comment on Gardeners world that this plant is not recommended for garden use"...

I have three of these plants I have never had a problem with them. They are next to a fence not sticking out where you are likely to get pricked.
Maybe I should have worded it better.

Hi Ron, they used to put horse manure on roses.That's where the tetanus came from. Everyone used to run and get the poo in buckets when the rag and bone man came round with his horse and cart.

She may not have died of tetanus at all.

[Brightnbeautiful]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

Was it from tetanus?

Because then she died from Tetanus, not rose bushes.

Not trying to argue, but clarify.

But not good for her either way.

Hi ! I,m new here . I discovered this site whilst looking up how to treat a sloe thorn splinter....which I did this morning out hedge laying . I have picked the thorn out of my finger with a pin ,squeezed ,n, drenched it with TCP ! Tomorrow I will wear thick gloves whilst repairing the hedge .

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Like everything else Common sense prevails.. I run this thread to get some common sense answers to a "comment on Gardeners world that this plant is not recommended for garden use"...

I have three of these plants I have never had a problem with them. They are next to a fence not sticking out where you are likely to get pricked.
Maybe I should have worded it better.

Hi Ron, they used to put horse manure on roses.That's where the tetanus came from. Everyone used to run and get the poo in buckets when the rag and bone man came round with his horse and cart.

She may not have died of tetanus at all.

I don't remember the details of what she actually died from but it was definitely "want of breath", I know - that's sick - nurses humour.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I don't remember the details of what she actually died from but it was definitely "want of breath", I know - that's sick - nurses humour.

You are funny Ron lol

[jayne 49]

i have never had a problem with thorns in the past but after a haw or black thorn going through my garden shoes at the weekend i have contracted a bad infection in my groin glands. I am having to have a couple of days off work as i can barely walk. and i have not been able to lay in bed for 2 nights, i am having to sleep in a chair. I never realiised a thorn could do so much damage and on a different note i have thrown away my town and country gardening clogs as the thorn went straight through them only leaving a small pucture wound.

[SheffieldLass]

Hi Jayne
I hope you are getting proper treatment and recover quickly.

A friend of mine got septicaemia from being thorned by a blackthorn. An A&E job and over a week of hospital follow up. She warned me to be extremely careful when I was grubbing out all the blackthorn from a hedge in my garden this year. I did get thorned, but I was OK.

But blackthorn is really inappropriate for a garden, not only are the thorns vicious, it suckers very badly and quickly turns into a thicket. If you want to keep on good terms with your neighbours then don't plant a blackthorn hedge, or a bush close to the boundary. It is a seriously antisocial plant, doesn't respect boundaries. On the other hand, if you hate your neighbours and want to make a rod for your own back, well, maybe, it could be just the thing