Originally posted by Clarkey !! My goodness:
from Wikipedia:
"The tree and its parts contain strong toxins, some unidentified. Its milky white sap contains phorbol and other skin irritants, producing strong allergic dermatitis.[2] Standing beneath the tree during rain will cause blistering of the skin from mere contact with this liquid (even a small drop of rain with the milky substance in it will cause the skin to blister). Burning the tree may cause blindness if the smoke reaches the eyes".
Talk about the perfect defense for being chopped down.
Reminds me of a story heard when I was a student in California, about Highway Patrol finding a field of marijuana They cut it, piled it, burned it, and went away very, very happy and not much interested in speeders. Probably an urban legend.