
R22 NATURE AND LIFE. s 
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 ef 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 by Ramel from Aus- 
tralia to Southern Europe, where it is readily acclimated, 
is a gigantic tree of the family of Myrtacew. 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 Mérimée, 
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 

