Toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as eastern poison ivy or poison ivy, is a poisonous Asian and North American flowering plant that is well known for causing an itching, irritating, and sometimes painful rash in most people who touch it, caused by urushiol, a clear liquid compound in the plant's sap.
Boil: Introduction. A boil is a large infection of a hair follicle, the tiny opening in the skin from which a hair grows. Boils are due to an invasion of bacteria that enter the follicle and cause a bacterial infection of the follicle and nearby skin. Boils are also called skin abscesses or furuncles.
It Can Be A Family Affair. Boils are most frequently caused by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus. This type of bacteria is generally defeated by a healthy immune system and overall isn't problematic. As a matter of fact, we all have micro-organisms living in our intestines and on our skin that remain, for the most part, harmless.