EUCAL YPTUS. 



EUCALYPTUS OIL6, 



The use of Eucalyptus oils is constantly increasing in 

 medicine and yet the marked differences in the oils derived 

 from different species of Hucalyptus does not seem to have 

 been realized by the physician or by the apothecary. Gen- 

 erally several species of Eucalyptus are recognized as reli- 

 able sources of medicinal oils; amongst these may be named 

 Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus amygdalina. The first 

 of these contains about 60 per cent of Eucalyptol to which 

 its medicinal value is attributed. The chemical formula 

 of this is Cio H l6 O. Eucalyptus amygdalina on the other 

 hand contains but a trace of Eucalyptol, if any. It has a 

 number of forms, the oils of which differ considerably from 

 each other, all of them however have Eucalyptol replaced 

 by Phellandrene. The chemical form of Phellandrene is 

 Cio H I6 . It is clear that whatever value Phellandrene may 

 have in medicine it cannot be properly put in a prescription 

 that calls for Eucalyptol or an oil containing it. The in- 

 creased use of the Eucalyptus oils derived from the solid 

 plantations of E. globulus in California and in Algiers is 

 thus seen to rest upon reasonable grounds and must 

 give increased reliability to medicinal preparations from 

 the Eucalyptus. Eucalyptol is best recognized and known 

 in its therapeutic effects, but Phellandrene is also known 

 to have very similar effects and may be as good or better 

 than Eucalyptol. 



