586 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



influence, promoting digestion and secretion, and giving tone 

 to the heart, and improving the pulse in strength and volume. 

 In intermittent fever, given before the expected paroxysm, it 

 cuts short the attack by remedying that condition which pro- 

 duces the flush in the blood-vessels, and by giving them tone. 

 It has no peculiar virtue in neutralizing the poison of malaria, 

 but it is an invaluable remedy in all fevers. When, however, 

 the altered circulation leads to inflammation of an organ, or 

 to some morbid change, it is suggested that its use is at least 

 doubtful. 20 A, March 4, 245. 



A NEW REMEDY FOR INTERMITTENT FEVER. 



German physicians, as appears from medical journals, have 

 found a tincture of the leaves of the Eucalyptus globulus, or 

 Australian gum-tree, to be a remedy for intermittent fever. 

 Dr. Lorimer gave it to fifty-three patients, of whom forty- 

 three were completely cured. In five others there was a re- 

 lapse, owing to a failure in the supply of the tincture. In 

 eleven of the cases quinine had been used without eftect, and 

 nine of these were cured by the Eucalyptus. This tree, of 

 considerable size, grows in Australia. Its wood is very hard, 

 and is used in ship-building. 



TREATMENT OF SCARLET FEVER. 



Mr. Lennox, in a communication upon the very prevalent 

 epidemic of scarlet fever through England and Wales, calls 

 attention to certain common -sense views in regard to its 

 treatment which commend themselves to all thoughtful per- 

 sons. He remarks that, although we may not always be able 

 to control the appearance of the disease, yet, w T hen it has been 

 developed, its further progress is, or should be, entirely un- 

 der our control, since it is a contagious disease, and, as such, 

 capable of being antagonized. In this case, as in many oth- 

 er diseases, the poison is evidently propagated in the form 

 of germs, whatever be their character, which, thrown into 

 the air, and falling upon or entering the body, give rise to re- 

 newed cases. In scarlet fever these germs appear to retain 

 their vitality for an unusual length of time, one case being 

 mentioned where a piece of flannel, worn around the neck of 

 a scarlet-fever patient, was picked up and used two years aft- 

 er, and developed a fresh case of the disease. In a certain 



