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 ^ 

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

 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 encalyptol, 

 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 * and of some other species,^ 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 Gjeetn. Fruct. i. 173, t. 3S.— DC. Frodr. n. n. 395.— Debray, T!i^s. Fc. Pharm. Par. (1872). 



3. [No distinct specific character separates this — Poli, SnlV Fucalypto. Intra (1874). — F. 



plajit from the preceding ; but Bkongniakt and Mubll. S. Qiorn. Ital, v. 171. — Db Habtzen, 



Gris have retained it {Ann. Sc. if at. aer. 6, ii. Compt. Send. Acad. Sc. Ixxi. 1248. — Pl. Fev. des 



139).] J)eux Mondes, Tii. (1875) 149. — Hanb. et 



' And these plants -would doubtless still have Flveck. Pharmacogr. 249. 



been unknown in our country but for the ener- « The most remarkable is doubtless F. coloa- 



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



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



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



under cultivation F. Globulus and many other lia. F. amygdalina, calophylla, cornuta, coriaeea, 



species. Lmcoxylon, siderophloia, Sideroxylon, etc. etc., 



3 liABiLL. Voy. i. 153, t. 13; PI. Nom.-Eoll. are also most useful plants. F. rednifera S. 



ii. 121. — DC. Prodr.m.. 220. — Hook. p. Fl. one of the red gum trees of Australia, yields a 



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



Suppl. t. 16,^Benth. Fl. Austual. iii. 225 Manna of New Holland. F. dumosa A. Cunn. 



{Blm Gum). and mannifera Mud. give a similar substance. 



^ On euealyptol, see Cloez {Compt. Bend. Acad. F. oHiqua Lheh. Gunnii Hook, robusta Sm. gi- 



Sc. 28 mars 1870). Among other worksonthis gantia Hook. p. piperita Sm. are mentioned as 



plant, its uses and its products, see Eamel, Sev. having either an active essence, or a gummy or 



Marit. et Col. (1870). — QvBj^^n. Bull. T/iirap. saccharine secretion, or a good wood. The wood 



(aoAt 1871).— Bouillon, Thh. Fae. Mid. Par. of some species owes its solidity chiefly to de- 



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



