Be careful with the leaves of the Indian laurel tree.

(Baonghean) Recently, the emergency department of Nghe An Children's Hospital received a patient with severe poisoning and anemia. The cause was that the family had previously used the leaves of the plant to treat the child...

The tree also has other names such as "luc mai", "moi trang", "bo net"..., the scientific name is Claoxylon indicum (Reinw.ex Bl.) Hassk. The tree often grows wild in some mountainous areas, midlands and plains. In the highland districts of our province, people also use the tree to make fences and treat diseases, especially constipation.

According to Dr. Dau Thi Hoi - Emergency Department of Children's Hospital, every year the hospital receives about a few dozen patients poisoned by Indian laurel leaves and some other forest leaves. Most of the patients when admitted to the hospital are in critical condition due to acute hemolysis and severe anemia. Many cases are due to late arrival, excessive hemolysis and not having time for blood transfusion, leading to death. It is worth mentioning that the use of Indian laurel leaves and some forest leaves has been warned many times in the media, but many people due to lack of knowledge still use them to treat diseases. Should the commune health station and village health stations be more active in propagating to people about the harmful effects of Indian laurel leaves and providing first aid methods so that people can understand and apply them if an unfortunate incident occurs?

Song Hoang