346 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



such as M. viridiflora ' or Niaouli of New Caledonia, abound in this 

 country and the neighbouring isles, as far north as the Indian Archi- 

 pelago. An essence is extracted from it having all the properties of 

 Cajeput. Melaleuca, besides oil, bark, and leaves, furnishes the 

 population of these isles with building timber and textile cortical 

 fibre, and, in utility, is to this country what Eucalyptus is to Aus- 

 tralia and Tasmania. At first the properties of only E. Globulus 2 

 (fig. 299-303), or Blue Gum of Tasmania, were known in Europe; 3 

 it grows also in the province of Victoria in Australia, and is one of 

 the largest trees known, attaining a height of more than 230 feet. 

 Although its growth is rapid, from 12 to 20 feet in a year, its wood 

 is hard and imperishable. Its leaves are rich in essence and also in 

 tannin. The essence, which is a sort of camphor, called eucalyptol, 

 as also the powder, the alcoholic extract, and the distilled juice of 

 the leaves, have a multitude of therapeutic uses, in the treatment of 

 chronic affections of the bladder, of the bronchial tubes, of the 

 digestive organs, of the joints, etc., and especially in fevers. From 

 it are prepared pectoral and digestive infusions, lotions, sirrups, and 

 pectoral sweetmeats ; the leaves are smoked like tobacco. The uses 

 of this 4 and of some other species, 5 already numerous, will probably 

 be multiplied, when these trees, so useful for improving the salubrity 

 of low and marshy countries, are introduced and planted in con- 

 siderable numbers in the south of Europe and north of Africa, where 



1 Gjertn. Fruct. i. 173, t. 35.— DC. Prodr. n. n. 395.— Debray, Thés. Ec. Pharm. Par. (1872). 



3. [No distinct specific character separates this — Poli, Suit 'Evcalypto. Intra (1871). — F. 



plant from the preceding ; hut Bkongniakt and Muell. jV. Qiorn. Ital. v. 171. — De Hartzex, 



Gris have retained it {Ann. Sc. Nat. sér. 5, ii. Compt. Rend. Acad. Sc. Ixxi. 1248. — Pl. Rev. des 



139).] Deux Mondes, vii. (1875) 149. — Hanb. et 



5 And these plants would douhtless still have Flueck. Pharmacogr. 249. 



been unknown in our country but for the oner- 5 The most remarkable is doubtless E. colos- 



getic and patient initiative of P. Eamel, from sea, the wood of which is excellent, and which 



whom it has been vainly sought to take away attains a height of 400 or 500 feet. M. Ramel 



the merit of having propagated and brought cultivates it already with great success in Alge- 



under cultivation E. Globulus and many other ria. E. amggdaliua, calophylla, cornuta, coriacea, 



species. Leueoxglon, siderophhia, Sideroxylon, etc. etc., 



3 Labill. Toy. i. 153, t. 13 ; PI. Nouv.-Holl. are also most useful plants. E. resinifera S. 



ii, 121. DC. Prodr. iii. 220. — Hook. f. El. one of the red gum trees of Australia, yields a 



Tasm. i. 133. — F. Muell. Fragm ii. 68 ; PI. Vict. sort of kino and a saccharine product named 



Suppl. t. 16, — Benth. Fl. Austual. iii. 225 Manna of New Holland. E. dumosa A. Dunn. 



{Blue Gum). and mamiifcra Mud. give a similar substance. 



4 Oneuca.il/ptol, seeCLOEZ {Compt. Feud. Acad. E. obliqua Lhér. Gunnii Hook, robusta Sm. gi- 

 Sc. 28 mars 1870). Among other works on this gantia Hook. f. piperita Sm. are mentioned as 

 plant, its uses and its products, sec Ramel, Rev. having either an active essence, or a gummy or 

 Marit. et Col. (1870). — Gubleb. Bull. T/iérap. saccharine secretion, or a good wood. The wood 

 (août 1871). — Bouillon, This. Fac. Méd. Far. of some species owes its solidity chiefly to de- 

 (1872) n. 324.— Campion, This. Fac. Méd. Par. posits of calcareous and other salts in its tissue. 



