We call "Jewelweed", "Wild Columbine" down here. The delicate flowers are a
light orange color. It is common along streams and branches, especially
those which transverse cultivated fields. Some folks eat it as a green in
salads. It is supposed to be a Native American remedy for poison ivy
contact dermatitis and at one time it was an ingredient of a patent
medicine. I have also heard that the Native Americans fed their children
poison ivy leaves to develop an immunity tolerance to it. (sic!)
The leaves shine when placed under water due to surface tension effect thus;
"Jewelweed". I felt slighted as a boy because I never developed sensitivity
to poison ivy and couldn't try this remedy. I have recommended gently
sandpapering the early vesicles and washing with lye soap before cortisone
ointment came along. Calamine lotion looks like it helps and many people
believe it works. It takes two weeks to heal with calamine lotion, fourteen
days without it. May keep you from scratching the urticarial lesions and
spreading the urushiol containing oil.