Toxicity of the Common Houseplant Dieffenbachia

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Abstract
THE TOXIC MANIFESTATIONS produced by oral contact with the houseplant Dieffenbachia (D. sequine or "dumb cane") (figure) can be alarmingly severe. Dieffenbachia is described as "a decorative pot plant," and one can scarcely estimate the number of these plants present in homes of the United States. The authors were surprised, however, to find Dieffenbachia growing in their own homes and to notice them in public places. A child or an uniformed adult could be subjected to unnecessary morbidity or mortality by ingestion of Dieffenbachia, and it is hoped that the medical profession will be elerted to this possibility by the following case report. Report of a Case A 40-year-old woman was seen in the hospital emergency room at 8 pm, May 4, 1962, because of sialorrhea, dysphagia, and pain of the mouth and tongue. She stated that she had bitten into the stalk of the houseplant Dieffenbachia at about 2

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