Naturalisation in Extra- Tropical Countries. 167 



purposes, but it is not a strong wood. That of the smaller rough- 

 barked variety has proved lasting for fence-posts. Bees draw much 

 honey from the flowers of Eucalypts. La Billardiere's name applies 

 ill to any of the forms of this species. Plants raised on rather 

 barren ground near Melbourne have shown nearly the same amazing 

 rapidity of growth as those of E. globulus ; yet, like those of E. 

 obliqua, they are not so easily satisfied with any soil. In the south 

 of France this tree grew to a height of 50 feet in eight years. It 

 has endured the frosts of the milder parts of England, with E. 

 Grunnii and E. cordata. In New Zealand it has survived the cold, 

 where E. globulus succumbed. E. amygdalina, E. urnigera, E. 

 coccifera, E. rostrata and E. corymbosa have proved more hardy 

 than E. globulus, E. diversicolor, E. resinifera, E. longifolia and E. 

 melliodora at Rome, according to the Rev. M. Gildas, E. coccifera 

 being hardier than any other. Professor Ch. Naudin believes, that 

 E. amygdalina will prove hardy along the western maritime districts 

 of France as far north as Brittany ; the ordinary variety proved 

 also hardy in the mild climate of Arran [Rev. D. Landsborough] 

 also along with E. globulus at Falmouth [Gr. H. Taylor], the typical 

 rough-barked form enduring more frost than the sylvan form E. 

 regnans. In Grippsland it ascends to an altitude of 4,000 feet. 

 Mons. F. de Rochemache observes, that E. amygdalina grows nearly 

 five times quicker in South-Europe than Pinus Laricio. The now 

 well-known Eucalyptus-oil, the distillation of which was initiated 

 by the writer, is furnished in greater or lesser proportion by all the 

 different species. It was first brought extensively into commerce 

 by Mr. Bosisto, who has the credit of having ascertained many of 

 the properties of this oil for technic application, l^t is this species 

 which yields more volatile oil than any other hitherto tested, and 

 which therefore is largely chosen for distillation ; thus it is also 

 one of the best for subduing malarian effluvia in fever-regions, 

 although it does not grow with quite the same ease and celerity as 

 E. globulus. Dr. Curgenven found Eucalyptus-oil, combined with 

 thymol and other antiseptics, highly efficacious in the treatment of 

 scarlet-fever and other infectious diseases, especially as an external 

 application. Fresh Eucalyptus-branchlets, particularly of E. amyg- 

 dalina, should be daily placed into the sickroom of phthisic patients, 

 best under the bedstead, the effect being not only antiseptic, but 

 also sedative and to some extent hypnotic. Colonel Warren quotes 

 from scripture in reference to the medicinal value of the Eucalypts : 

 " The leaves of the tree shall be for the healing of the nations." 

 The respective hygienic value of various Eucalypts may to some 

 extent be judged from the average percentage of oil in their foliage, 

 as stated below, and as ascertained by Mr. Bosisto, at the author's 

 instance, for the Exhibition of 1862: 



E. amygdallina 

 E. oleosa 

 E. leucoxylon 

 E. goniocalyx 

 E. globulus 

 E. obliqua 



3'313 per cent, volatile oil. 



1-250 



1-060 



0-914 



0-719 



0-500 



