The Spawn of Satan

[Dru]

 

So far I have discovered that infected devils club spines caused blood poisoning (septicemia) which killed at least one early PNW mountaineer. I am reading the Henry Custer adventures now looking for more early reports of this monstrous plant.

 

My own encounters recently prompted me to come up with spine removal methods.

 

#1 is - wait a few weeks until it gets infected. Squeeze hard and watch the spine pop out on a jet of pus. This is the "traditional" method but may lead to aforementioned septicemia.

 

#2 my more recent method is to take a couple of stiff drinks of rum as a painkiller and then go to work with a sharp sterlized needle. After making an incision in the skin to expose the head of the spine, squeezing and tweezers should suffice to extract it

 

#3 if you have a large sized veterinary or scientific syringe, take the needle out. Now put the tip of the syringe, compressed, over the spine entry point. Seal your skin to the tip with pressure, and pull back the syringe plunger, creating a vaccuum which is very effective at extracting the spine.

 

Downside of this method is that it creates a hickey over the wound site if used repeatedly. Also you dont get to drink the rum like you do if using needle extraction technique #2. However it is much faster and almost painless.

[specialed]

Devil's club lucky if my substance-fortified blood doesn't infect and kill it.