dew poison n Also dew poisoning chiefly S Midl, esp sAppalachians Cf dew boil n, dew crack n, dew itch n, dew sore n, ground itch n
Any of various rashes or infections associated with contact with dewy vegetation; the supposed causative agent of these conditions:
a In domestic animals.
1865 TX Republican (Marshall) 19 May [2]/7, [Advt:] Stolen . . , a large bay horse. . , very heavy mane and tail. . . Also some white saddle marks on each side of his back, some slight collar marks above the shoulders, had a sore mouth from dew poison. 1876 Courier–Jrl. (Louisville KY) 17 Oct [4]/10, [Advt:] One is a black mare, . . both hind feet white, and scarred from dew poison. 1883 St. Louis Globe–Democrat (MO) 2 July 3/4, The gray brood mare Alice Murphy . . died on June 21. She got her hind foot cut by a barbed wire fence, and blood or dew poisoning set in, causing death. 1896 U.S. Vet. Med. Assoc. Proc. 55 AL, During the time of the year when heavy dews are on the pastures we have a disease which does not seem to exist in the North. . . It is popularly known as “foot evil,” and is caused by what people call dew poison. It seems to be a very acute inflammation of the skin, starting generally in the hollow between the bulbs of the heel and rapidly extending round the skin surrounding the coronet, with shedding of the hoof as a frequent result. 1921 Natl. Wool Grower Sept 18/1 cwTX, [Letter:] Our lambs are just breaking out with a lip disease, commonly known as dew poison. . . [Response:] From Mr. Sherbino’s letter, I take it that the ailment is what we commonly call ‘lip and leg’ ulceration, or necrobacillosis. . . It is found quite common on the Western ranges in Utah and the surrounding states. 1930 Vet. Alumni Qrly. 17.136 IN, In the open pastures, we find cases of dew poisoning. You will find it on the white-skin areas of sheep, cattle, and horses; and in one case it was on the face of a dog. 1952 Suffolk News–Herald (VA) 11 June 10/2, The trouble comes from the pigs getting into the dew saturated vegetation, with the hot sun shining on the places wet with dew. The hot sun blisters the wet spots and from that dew poison, as we call it, shows up and ears are shed off, noses are so sore pigs won’t eat, etc. 1970 DARE (Qu. K28, . . Diseases that cows have) Inf KY86, Dew poison—same as foot or hoof rot. 2007 Country Today (Eau Claire WI) 16 May sec C 7/3, Dew poisoning occurs in the spring and also is called Alsike clover photosensitization. . . In spring, if horses eat sufficient quantities of dew covered Alsike clover, something in the forage might make their skin photosensitive, Dr. Semrad said. White areas are especially affected.
b In people.
[1870 Moore’s Rural New Yorker 22.319/5, My standing antidote for poison by dew, poison-oak, ivy, &c., is to take a handful of quick lime, dissolve in water, let it stand half-hour, then paint the poisoned parts with it.] 1879 Daily AR Gaz. (Little Rock) 24 Sept 8/3, Jupiter . . has a dark spot, 25 000 miles in diameter, on his disk. . . Probably the old man has a cancer, or is afflicted with dew poison. 1890 Atlanta Constitution (GA) 31 May 3/4, About ten or twelve years ago, Mr. Joshua Pittman . . received a flesh wound while handling a basket of cotton and contracted dew poison in the injured place, which has troubled him at intervals ever since. . . He grew worse until finally death terminated his suffering on Thursday evening last. 1899 Murfree Story Fort Loudon 114 TN, He lifted his own bare foot, . . scarred with the scratching of briers and stone-bruises and the results of what is known as dew-poison—he called it “jew-pizen,” and so do those of his ilk to this good day. 1909 U.S. Pub. Health Serv. Pub. Health Rept. 24.1084, The young hookworms in boring through the skin produce an attack of “ground itch” (also known as “foot itch,” “footsore,” “dew itch,” “dew poison,” etc.). 1912 Cobb Back Home 110 KY, He couldn’t even go barefooted in summer, because if he did his legs would be broken out all over with dew poison. 1913 Kephart Highlanders 229 sAppalachians, As a woman described it, “Dew pizen comes like a risin’, and laws-a-marcy how it does hurt! . . My leg swelled up black to clar above the knee. . . I lay on a pallet on the floor for over a month. . . I’ve seed persons jest a lot o’ sores all over, as big as my hand, from dew pizen.” 1946 PADS 6.11 eNC, Dew poison: . . Sores on the feet, usually between the toes; caused by parasitic mites. Among bare-footed boys. Pamlico [Co.]. Common. 1949 Richmond News (MO) 17 June 4/2, Mrs. T. R. Snider has been troubled by a poison on one of her hands which her physician termed as dew poisoning but it is quite a lot better now. 1950 Paris News (TX) 21 July mag sec 12/3, Jordon lost a leg back in December of 1947. “Dew poison got in it and it had to be taken off.” 1954 PADS 21.25 SC, Dew poison [dɪu, dʒu-] . . Ringworm on the feet, especially on the toes; athlete’s foot; an infection caused by hookworm. Upcountry. In the Pee Dee this is called foot itch. 1959 Glasgow Republican (KY) 3 Sept 7/1, Mr. Bosley Pedigo is confined to his home with dew poison on his legs. 1960 Hall Smoky Mt. Folks 50 wNC, eTN, St. John weeds wet with dew . . will cause “sores and risin’s” (“dew poisoning”) on the skin. c1960 Wilson Coll.csKY, Dew poison. . . Ringworm on the feet. Some cases may be hookworm. Also called ground-itch (eetch) or toe-itch. 1966–67 DARE (Qu. BB25, . . Common skin diseases) Inf KY34, Dew poison; SC3, Dew poisoning. c1974 Jones Ozark Hill Boy 10 AR (as of c1920), We went barefooted all summer and our stumped toes were too sore to bear shoes until almost Christmas. . . We always expected to have cold frost-bitten toes, blistered with dew poison before the first snow fell. 2005 Williams Gratitude 117 wNC (as of 1940s), Sometimes the scratches festered up (became infected) and they called it dew poisonin’. You had to watch about that, for that could turn into blood poisonin’.