I found this excerpt from the net quite alarming.
*Euphorbia tirucalli* (also known as *Firestick Plants*, *Indian Tree Spurge *, *Naked Lady*, *Pencil Tree*, *Sticks on Fire* or *Milk Bush*)(Sanskrit: सप्तला saptala, सातला satala,Marathi : sher-kandvel शेर-कांडवेल) is a shrub<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Shrub>that grows in semi-arid <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Semi-arid> tropical<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Tropical> climates <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Climate>. It has a wide distribution in Africa, being prominently present in northeastern, central and southern Africa. It may also be native in other parts of the continent as well as some surrounding islands and the Arabian peninsula and has been introduced to many other tropical regions. Its status in India is uncertain. It grows in dry areas, and is often used to feed cattle or as hedging.[1]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-iucn-0>It is well known in Sri Lanka where it is called Sinhala <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Sinhala_language>: නවහන්දි Navahandi[3 ]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-2>in Sinhalese <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Sinhala_language>. Milk bush is a hydrocarbon plant<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Hydrocarbon_plant>that produces a poisonous latex <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Latex> which can, with little effort, be converted to the equivalent of gasoline<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Gasoline>. This led chemist <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Chemist> Melvin Calvin<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Melvin_Calvin>to propose the exploitation of milk bush for producing oil. This usage is particularly appealing because of the ability of milk bush to grow on land that is not suitable for most other crops. Calvin estimated that 10 to 50 barrels of oil <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Oil> per acre was achievable. It has also been used in the production of rubber, but this was not very successful.[1]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-iucn-0> Milk bush also has uses in traditional medicine<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Complementary_and_alternative_medicine>in many cultures. It has been used to treat cancers, excrescences, tumors, and warts in such diverse places as Brazil<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Brazil>, India <https://mail.google.com/wiki/India>, Indonesia<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Indonesia>, Malabar <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Malabar> and Malaysia<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Malaysia>. It has also been used as an application for asthma<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Asthma>, cough, earache, neuralgia <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Neuralgia>, rheumatism <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Rheumatism>, toothache, and warts in India.[4]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-3>There is some interest in milk bush as a cancer <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Cancer> treatment. However Euphorbia Tirucalli has been associated with Burkitt's lymphoma<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Burkitt%27s_lymphoma>and thought to be a cofactor <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Cofactor_(biochemistry)> of the disease rather than a treatment [5]<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#cite_note-4> In the 1980s the Brazilian national petroleum<https://mail.google.com/wiki/Petroleum>company Petrobras <https://mail.google.com/wiki/Petrobras> began experiments based on the ideas that Calvin put forth. [edit<https://mail.google.com/w/index.php?title=Euphorbia_tirucalli&action=edit§ion=1> ] First aid The milky sap contained in this plant is corrosive and extremely toxic. Contact with skin causes severe burning; contact with the eyes may cause severe pain, and may cause temporary blindness for up to 7 days. For eye exposures, flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Over-the-counter antihistamines may provide relief for sensitive patients. Symptoms may worsen over 12 hours. If swallowed, may cause burning to mouth, lips, and tongue. Deaths have been recorded from swallowing the sap and, if swallowed, one should seek medical attention. If one still shows symptoms of rash after 10 days or more, it can be assumed that the rash will enduring the remainder of the infected person's life. Similar to the common STD herpes. Regards, Padmini Raghavan.
