a random and mostly useless, yet on topic, factoid

[heidi.h.tandy.c92 at alumni.upenn.edu]

No: HPFGUIDX 22954

I'm reading up on bad luck plants (for planting in a fanfic :) - and I 
learned the following:
Privet is a bad-luck plant -  It was rumored that privet leaves were one of 
the sources of diphtheria. 

Make of this what you will.......