Joseph S. Karas

Joseph S. Karas was a medical doctor who served as director of the Poison Control Center at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. He is best known as the coauthor, with Heber W. Youngken Jr., of Common Poisonous Plants of New England, a public-health guide published through the Rhode Island Health Department in cooperation with the U.S. Public Health Service.

His writing is straightforward and useful, aimed at helping readers identify toxic plants, understand their risks, and learn basic first-aid responses. That practical, safety-first approach makes his work feel less like a technical manual and more like a trusted field guide for families, hikers, and anyone curious about the natural world.

Reliable biographical details about his broader life and career are limited in the sources I could confirm, so this overview focuses on the medical and publishing roles that are clearly documented.