AUSTRALIAN BUSH DERMATITIS: COMPOSITÆ DERMATITIS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Abstract

“Australian bush dermatitis” is suggested as a suitable name for a chronic dermatitis of exposed areas occurring In men living in the Australian bush. Sensitivity to ragweed revealed by patch testing was common to five patients suffering from the dermatitis, but was thought to be incidental and not clinically relevant. Wind-borne pollens or dusts, released during dry, summer conditions by other plants of the Compositæ family present in the Australian bush, are suggested as probable causes. The Incapacitating chronicity of Australian bush dermatitis indicates that dermatological, botanical and chemical research into its origins is desirable. Several other cases of dermatitis caused by Compositæ plants including capeweed, wild artichokes, stinkwort, Shasta daisies and globe artichokes, are described. Wild artichoke has not been previously known as an allergic sensitizer. It is suggested that these and other Compositæ plants may not have been recognized so far as the causes of varying patterns of acute and chronic dermatitis in Australians who spend a large part of their lives in the bush and in their gardens.