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Home » Topics A–Z » Garlic
Author: Dr Marius Rademaker, Dermatologist, Hamilton, New Zealand,1999.
Common name: | Garlic. |
Botanical name: | Allium sativum |
Family: | Liliaceae. |
Origin: | Central Asia. |
Description: | The bulb of garlic is made up of a cluster of small bulbets (cloves). The flowers are held in an umbel. |
Uses: | Food. Garlic has a long history of being used as a complementary medicine to protect against coughs and colds. It is commonly used as a poultice when it can cause very nasty burns. Traditionally also a vampire repellant! |
Allergens: | Diallydisulphide, allicin. |
Allergy: | Probably the most common cause of an allergic contact dermatitis on the finger tips. Most commonly it affects the thumb, index and middle fingertips of the non-dominant hand as a clove of garlic is held. Inhalation of garlic dust can cause severe asthma. Garlic poultices can cause significant burns (probably irritant). |
Cross reactions: | Onion, leek, chives. |
Other information: | |
Patch test: | 50% garlic in arachis oil, diallydisulphide 5%. |
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