14 - 9 Figure 14-5. SURVIVAL WATER STILL j. Plant Food. There are many plants throughout the world. Tasting or swallowing even a small portion of some can cause severe discomfort, extreme internal disorders, or death. Therefore, if you have the slightest doubt as to the edibility of a plant, apply the universal edibility test described below before eating any part of it. (1) Universal Edibility Test. Before testing a plant for edibility, make sure there are a sufficient number of plants to make testing worth your time and effort. You need more than 24 hours to apply the edibility test outlined below: • Test only one part of a potential food plant at a time. • Break the plant into its basic components, leaves, stems, roots, buds, and flowers. • Smell the food for strong or acid odors. Keep in mind that smell alone does not indicate a plant is edible. • Do not eat for 8 hours before starting the test. • During the 8 hours you are abstaining from eating, test for contact poisoning by placing a piece of the plant you are testing on the inside of your elbow or wrist. Usually 15 minutes is enough time to allow for reaction. • During the test period, take nothing by mouth except purified water and the plant part being tested. • Select a small portion and prepare it the way you plan to eat it. • Before putting the prepared plant part in your mouth, touch a small portion (a pinch) to the outer surface of the lip to test for burning or itching. • If after 3 minutes there is no reaction on your lip, place the plant part on your tongue, holding there for 15 minutes. • If there is no reaction, thoroughly chew a pinch and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. Do not swallow. • If no burning, itching, numbing, stinging, or other irritation occurs during the 15 minutes, swallow the food. • Wait 8 hours. If any ill effects occur during this period, induce vomiting and drink a lot of water. • If no ill effects occur, eat 1/ 2 cup of the same plant part prepared the same way. Wait another 8 hours. If no ill effects occur, the plant part as prepared is safe for eating.