222 NATURE AND LIFE. 



covered in it only by chemical reactions, there is an unfail- 

 ing way of distinguishing it by observing the action of the 

 mixture on the heart of a frog. This device was resorted 

 to a few years ago, in a celebrated case of poisoning by 

 digitaline. Physicians have also lately been using another 

 alkaloid, veratrine, which, like the former, exerts a powerful 

 action upon the muscular fibres, especially on those of the 

 heart, and is serviceable in inflammations of the internal 

 organs, particularly in inflammation of the chest. 



Something may properly be said here of the Eucalyptus 

 globulus, which has been so much talked of for several 

 years. The eucalyptus, lately brought b3^ Ramel from Aus- 

 tralia to Southern Europe, where it is readily acclimated, 

 is a gigantic tree of the family of Myrtacece. It contains 

 a volatile oil, imparting peculiar properties to the leaves 

 and bark, which have been employed with advantage of 

 late in therapeutics thanks to the efforts of several French 

 doctors, particularly those of Grinbert. The essence of 

 eucalyptus impairs the reflex sensibility of the spinal cord, 

 and thus quiets cough and relieves oppression in very 

 many pulmonary complaints. By the effect it produces on 

 the mucosities it deserves a place in the first rank of reme- 

 dies used in the treatment of catarrh. Prosper Me>ime"e, 

 who spent the last years of his life at Cannes, constantly 

 smoked eucalyptus cigarettes there, and seemed to derive 

 great relief from them. Besides this essence, this Austra- 

 lian tree contains a bitter principle very efficient in inter- 

 mittent morbid conditions, particularly malarial fevers. In- 

 deed, in South America, Spain, Corsica, Algeria, and Rou- 

 mania, the infusion of eucalyptus begins to enjoy a certain 

 fashion as a febrifuge, and it is the more eagerly resorted 

 to in those regions because it often subdues cases that 

 have resisted the action of quinine. A fortunate whole- 

 someness, too, is the privilege of countries in which this 

 tree is very common. The balsamic exhalations which it 



