About ten years ago, a coworker got into poison oak. He finally broke down and went to a doctor. The doctor gave him some salve, but he said, "First, dump a cup of baking soda (Arm & Hammer is most common) into your bathtub and fill it up with warm-hot water, and get in".

Rick said it stung something awful at first, but it sure dried up the weeping and eased the itch.

Sue