Re: [Shaku] The Power of Urushi

Re. first occurrence of a reaction after so many years, someone with=20
more medical knowledge than I can probably explain this much more=20
clearly, but it's my understanding that that is very common re. allergic=20
reactions. Apparently there is a threshold phenomenon at work in that=20
once you reach the threshold of exposure you begin to have the reaction.=20
That was certainly the case for me with hay fever; I never had it until=20
I was in my late 20's but since then occasionally have pretty sever=20
occurrences. But it's always a drag to hear about cases involving=20
allergic reactions to something one is intimately involved in, e.g.=20
shakuhachi/urushi; hang in there Kiku; now you're contributions can be=20
considered truly heroic !

> Hi there.
>
> I got to this discussion quite late as I am traveling a lot of collect=20
> shakuhachi from different makers...
> which again means...
> I have had new experiences with urushi!
>
> I have never reacted to urushi during the 18 years I have played=20
> shakuhachi. I usually play unlacquered shakuhachi, but will, of=20
> course, take a new shakuhachi up now and then and play - without any=20
> problem until recently.
>
> But this time around, I have had quite severe reactions. And for me it=20
> has so far been black urushi, but I am reacting to urushi used by some=20
> makers... and not others (also if I play new instruments with urushi).=20
> The first time I reacted, I had a swollen eye like David and a=20
> blistered chin. Note: eye - not eyes! I am, after all, here in Japan=20
> to research in shakuhachi making, and by chance I found out that my=20
> "eye infection" (which I first thought it was) came from sticking my=20
> eye up the flute (e.g., looking into them) with my right eye! I was=20
> looking and writing down how much of the nodes were left etc.
> It is absolutely terrible to have swollen eye(s), so I also went to=20
> the doctor, who prescribed medicine and a mild cream with steroid=20
> (which I really didn't want to use, but hey...). With powerful=20
> medicine my urushi reaction quickly disappeared (at least I had=20
> eyesight on my left eye). Then I got my hands on some other shakuhachi=20
> a couple of weeks later, and within 30 minutes of examining them,=20
> measuring them etc I got a reaction. This time I could even follow=20
> where on my body my left hand had been... such as scratching my right=20
> armpit as I had a milder reaction there (and the shakuhachi came=20
> nowhere near my armpit)!!!
>
> So for now, I am being very careful with urushi!
> At least I got a good urushi story out of it! It can be dangerous to=20
> do research into shakuhachi!!!
> But I do wonder why I get my first urushi reaction after 18 years.
>
> Hope you are all well though!
> Kiku
>
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--=20

Karl Young
Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF =20
VA Medical Center (114M) Phone: (415) 221-4810 x3114 lab =
     =20
4150 Clement Street FAX: (415) 668-2864
San Francisco, CA 94121 Email: karl young at ucsf edu
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List un/subscription information is at:
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Received on Wed Jul 11 15:58 PDT 2007