This is encouraging, only one person so far can tell us a story about some weird thing happening after using leaves! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The ailment of Sarbar's friend is somewhat alarming, but as she says very unlikely. It could be a bunch of things, too, and none of it really easy to figure out without hundreds of lab tests.

There could have been some wacky bacteria and fungus on the fern like the original poster fears. Again, so far one person can tell us this has happened out of the entire board... It could have been a spider or bee or other small bug that stung or bit when so rudely squished. Maybe, and really unlikely, it could have had poison oak on it or have been poison oak. Or he could have picked up some plant that he was unknowingly allergic to. Possibly wiping with ferns wasn't cleaning well enough and he got a horrible form of diaper rash from his own, uh, waste.

Seriously, though, I carry TP and don't rely on leaves. Maybe in a few years if I got more used to it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I also don't use dirty leaves, moss, lichen, ferns, buggy leaves, or dripping wet leaves (unless it's raining).