The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-02-19
me ausIralIau Fer.r r-~sss

A question Of considerable general
interest was recently discussed at q
meeting Of the French Academy Of
Sciences. The subject was the re-
markable sanitary influence Of the
eucalyptus gLo6UlIGs, when planted in
msrshy grounds; and the tree, in
brief, it seems, has the curious and
valuable power Of destroying the ma
lsrious element in any atmosphere
where it grows.
The species is indigenous to Tas-
mania, and is known among the COL
onists by the name of the Tasmanian
blue gum tree on account of its dark
blush tinged leaves. Growing in the
valleys and on thickly wooded noun
tain slopes, it often attains hight Of
from $50 to 30 feet with circumfer-
ence of trunk Of from 32 10 81 feet.
The foliage is thin and oddly twisted,
surmounting, with thin crown, the
top Of the pillar-like stem. The wood
exhales an aromatic odor, and, after
seasoning, is said to be ineorruptible.
For this reason it is largely used in
the building of piers, vessels and 9TH
er structures exposed to the ravages
of the weather. tits largely export
ed, to the aggregate value, an author
ity states, of S4, ,009, 900 per year.
To the peculiar camphor-like Odor
of the leaves and the large absorption
of water by the roots is doubtless ow-
ing the fact Of the beneficial influence
of the tree. Where it Is thiokly
planted in mRrshy tracts, the sub-soil
Is said to be drained as il by extern
sive piping.
Miasma ceases, we are told, where
ever the eucalyptus fourishes. 1thas
been tried, for this purpose, at the
Cape and, within two or three
years, completely changed the climatic
condition Of the unhealthy parts Of
that colony. Somewhat later, its
plantation was undertaken, on large
sole, in various parts Of Algiers, situ-
ated on the banks of river, and noted
for its extremely pestilential air /;
about Il, 900 eucalypti were planted.
In the same year, at the time when
the fever season used to set In, not .
single case occurred, yet the trees were
not more than nine feet high. Since
then, complete immunity from fever
has been maintained. In the neigh
borhood Of Constantine, 1t is also
stated, was another noted fever spot,
covered with marsh water, both in
winter and sumner in five years, the
whole ground was dried up by 1900
of these trees, and farmers and chill
dren enjoy excellent health. Through
out Cuba, marsh diseases are fast dis
appearing from all the unhealthy dis
tricts where this tree has been intro
duced. A station house, again, at
one end of q railway viaduct In the
department of the Var, was 90 pesti-
lential that the officials could not be
kept there longer than q year ; forty
Of the trees were planted, and it IL
now as healthy as any other place on
the line.
La Nature, adds that careful expert
meDts have prove that, in g medicinal
preparation, it cures the worst cases Of
Intermittent fever, against which
quinine proves powerless. It Is also
valuable as 3 disinfectsnt, and as q
dressing for wounds while more re-
cent investigations point to the fact
that it may be rendered Of great ser
vice in catarrhal affections.
The tree has been aeclimRtiZed, to q
certain extent, in the South Of France,
Algiers, Corsica, Spain, Cuba, and
Mexico. We should imagine that It
might be cultivated, with immense
advantage, in the swamps OF our
Southern States.