Fee. I, 1886.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



55^ 



does not require to be used so often. In several 

 cases, after 5 or hours' steaming, complete casts 

 of tbe air-passiige wt^e coughetl up, ami the breath- 

 ing became easy at once. One young lady, tapping 

 the upper part of her sternum, said, *' It is liere." 

 tSlie could not swallow a tea-spoouful of water ! Her 

 lips were blue and her face of a dusky hue ; but 

 alter hours of steaming the membrane was coughed up, 

 and the breathing became at OQoe easy. In one caso, 

 where steaming was not airried out, the little patient 

 was serai-asphyxiated for three days before death 

 put an end to her sufferiugs. It was the first case 

 of this epidemic that I saw, and was not able to 

 sufhciently impress the attendants with the import- 

 ance of the constant use of this steam. In blue-gum 

 steam we have a most perfect disinfectant, as in 

 no single case, after the first twenty-four hours, was 

 the breath unpleasant and the swelling in the neck 

 quickly subsided. Towards eight o'clock the diph- 

 theria patients generally became feverish, restless and 

 unable to sleep, and it was wonderful to watch the 

 soothing effects of the steam. A bucket was gener- 

 ally placed in the room containing the blue-gum 

 water, and a red-hot poker placed in it, which at 

 once filled the room with steam, and very shortly 

 after one child after another would fall asleep. 

 Twenty-four cases were treateil as above, witl: the 

 death of only one infant, aged eight months. There 

 Were six other children ill iu the same family, and 

 not oue case of paralysis has occurred amongst them, 

 altliongh two treated with sulphur by their parents 

 are liadly affected. I think that I can claim for 

 the above treatment. — i^t. — Great simplicity; 2iul. — 

 That it follows njiture's owa method of getting rid 

 of the membrane, namely, by suppuration; 'di'd. — 

 That it prevents paralysis from following; itk.— 

 That it cures the severest cjises. 



Extract from the Si/diiey .l/niV.— [Substance of a 

 letter from Dr. Koss, Br.D.] — I am forced, from 

 careful observation and long experience of bush life, 

 to believe that the majority of our gum trees, no 

 matter in what form used, whether in the shape 

 of their leaves iu their natural state, or dried, in 

 ointment, powder, decoction, g:um, extract, oil or 

 alkaloid, all inherit virtues. Time alone is bound 

 to bring them into more general repute .as an in- 

 valiiabU; antiseptic and agent for counteracting lethal 

 or poisonous exhalations ; a cooling, healing applic- 

 ation to wounds and ulcers, or rheumatism, aiul a 

 salutary remedy in parasitic disonlers iu sheep. 

 I shall ngw submit the following short extract of a 

 remarkable ^pmr vioimA case:— On the 2.Sth December 

 ISfil I found the abdominal wound wifle open aiul 

 gaping and the bowels protruding, accompanied by a 

 ipiantity of ichorous serum ooziug from the large 

 orifice. Had taken no mediciue. His gin, sitting 

 by his side, in the bough gunyah, attentively bathed 

 the wound and swollen alalomen with a few of the 

 most teu-ilcr shoots and leaves of the rcil-gum tn^e, 

 steepetl from time to time in hot-water. In conse- 

 ijuence of the untoward appearance of the wound 

 all chances of his recovery seemed now to have 

 l>e»*ii quite takeu out of my hands, for to attempt 

 to close the wound, under the circumstances, would 

 not only have been perfectly futile, but have added 

 to the danger as the swelling was rapidly increasing, 

 80 much so that the case appeared ijuite hopeless 

 and the pulst? was sinking. On returning m the 

 evening I found to my great surprise and astonish- 

 ment that what I had considered to be a useless 

 and cruel «ort of application had not only lessened 

 the size of the woun>l, but had positively had the 

 effect of re<niiing the swelling. Si'eing such results, 

 of course I coul 1 make no further objection to the 

 use of this strauge apphcition in the shape of gum- 

 tree leaves, and the sixth day fouud the abdominal 

 wound closed ! 



Extracts from Kvlra Pluinnwn/tria, ISSI. — Erfid/jiliis 

 fiilitc (Eucalyptus leaves).— Dosie i> grains, or more, 

 in |>ow ler. The dried leaves of the Kurnli/ptm 

 glol'i'hi.i, or blui;-gum tree of Australia, have been 

 employed medicinally in the treatment of agaa and 



bronchitis, and are now much used in Italy for Roman 

 and malarious fevers ; also, when coarsely pDwdertnl, 

 are omployeil for smoking iu cigarettes hi cardiac 

 and aueurismal asthma. The narrow leaves, mostly 

 scimitar-shaped, are more active medicinally than 

 the broad leaves of herbaceous shoots. 



Oleum EnaitypU. — Uoso 1 to 5 minims enudsified 

 with olive oil. Is distilled from the leaves of the 

 Eucali/plus anit/(/d<iHnie and also from those of the 

 EKcalf/ptita ylobidns and probably from other species. 

 It is to this oil, and also especially to the great 

 avidity fur water which this tree has when growing, 

 that it owes its antimalarial influence. The oil is 

 a powerful antiseptic and has an ozonizing influence 

 on the atmosphere while it oxidises. It has a pale 

 yellow color, a penotrating, camphoraceous odour, sp. 

 gr. about OHOI), and boils between iioS^ and 39:J'' 

 (Fahr.). It is uot caustic like carbolic acid, nor does 

 it produce much irritation, althougli it is very destruct- 

 ive to low organic growths. It is soluble in oils, 

 fats, paraffins, and alcohol, but oidy a trace dissolves 

 in water. The oil is useful (mixed with an equal 

 quantity of olive oil) as as Bubefacieut for rheinnatism. 

 A largo percentage of Eitcah/ptus oil consists of 

 " EtLCitlyptol" which is also met with iu commerce 

 and' is tnat part of the above oil whicli passes over 

 between 338° and 35:2° F. It is obtaiueil by treating 

 the latter with caustic potax, then with chloride of 

 calcium, and subsequent distillation. 



Extract from thi! Aiiatrahisian. — Baron Von Mueller 

 has been at the pains of collecting and collating 

 testimony from the scientific publications of many 

 countries, and he cites recorded cases resting on the 

 authority of practitioners of eminence to sliow that 

 Eucalyptus oil possesses almost imique virtues as an 

 anti.septic, as an agent for the reduction of the 

 pulse in phthisis and typhus, for the diminution of 

 bronchial catarrh, for combating incipient or threat- 

 ened gangrene, and for healing certain ulcers. Dr. 

 Wooster of San Frijncisc^o enumerates 123 cases of 

 variotis diseases, 9rt of which were cured by the ad- 

 ministration of the tluiil extract of Encali/ptus foliage. 

 In 23 cases of remittent, intermittent and typhoid 

 fever, every one yielded to the treatment. The 

 American Facidty are using the extract largely in 

 cases of diptheria and scarlatina with the most 

 gratifying results; and in severe cases of cystisis, it 

 has effected cures when all ordinary remedies liad 

 failed. In the practice of a single physician in 

 New York, 10;) diphtheritic cases have been succes- 

 fuUy treated by the fluid extract. Eiicatyptus in- 

 halations, it has been found, are capable of overcoming 

 catarrhal asthma and hooping-cough ami of arresting 

 pulmonary consumption. 



Extract friuu Phtfrin. ^eitujiff. — Hodolfo BodolG 

 recommeiuls, from personal experience, the chewing 

 of two to three dried leaves of Eiirahfptns ulohidua 

 as a sovereign remedy for cold in tlie head and 

 coryza, provided they are recent and not chronic. 

 The (iffect generally makes itself felt in half an 

 hour. 

 Othek Uses op Edcalvi'tik Oil NOf Medicin.*l. 

 Extract from the Indiaa Jf/riritJtitrisf. — A proces 

 has been invi^nted in America for the manufacture 

 of a preparation of the gum of the " Eucalyptus 

 Gloliiclus." It has the effect of removing thoroughly 

 the scales which form in engine-boilers, an-l thus 

 prevents rust and pitting. The result of tlie itilroduc- 

 tion of this preparation has been so great as to 

 create au immensi> di-mand for it both iji ,\nierica 

 and Europe. The effect 6f this preparation in 

 preventing the pitting and corrosion of boilers will, 

 it is expected, extend the period of their usefiU- 

 ness 100 to 150 per cent, and at the same timo 

 effect a great saving in fuel, as strale is a non- 

 couduct.>r of heat, and therefore more fuel is required 

 to generate steam in old boilers than in new clean 

 boilers. [We have seen an adverse opinion from an 

 Engineer. — Eii.J 



Extract from « lelfcr from tli.' Dii'tclnr, Onvcrn- 

 meiit Cinchona PlatilatioiiSj Parks and Ourtl^/is. — ** The 

 leaves of many of the Eucalypti yield very good 



