San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-02-23
The Eucalyptus Tree.

GlODulus, VI io'oi 1ioo, was introduced
into this city from California. Soma
seeds were procured by direction of thu
City Council, who decided on trial ~
the tree, in view of the severe yellow
fever epidemics that had previously at
intervals ravaged, decimated and peri.
odically filed with mourning the coast
cities of the Gulf.
From experiments made with the tree
in Houston, it is now considered sui.
ficiently demonstrated that the climate
and the soil of South and Middle Texas
will permit not only of its growth but
its dourishing in this latitude. Among
the prominent citizens of Houston who
now have eucalyptuses growing in their
yards are Messrs. L. II. Gushing and
DR.. Fielding, both of whom have been
quite successful with the tree.
In so far as the City of Houston is
concerned, the tree can not be said to
have been grown here in sufficient mum.
bers to be considered fair test of its
alleged anti-febrile properties. Certain
it is, however, that since its introduc.
ton there has been no epidemic of vel.
low fever. In the fall of 1875 and '76,
there were few sporadic cases of vel
low fever, but the disease died out with
out spreading, and for the last two years
the city has not only been free of fevers
of all kinds but, according to the report
of the health officer, one of the healthi-
est cities in the United States. How
ever, when the tree has been more ex-
tensively planted here, as it will be, it
will be more legitimate to draw conclu-
sions as to the reality of the properties
supposed to reside in the eucalyptus
The experiments now being made with
it are of great and deep interest to the
inhabitants of the towns and cities on
the Gulf, subject to
"The rotten diseases OF the South"
The eucalyptus is in many respects a
remarkable tree. Its growth is swift
and luxuriant. Its capsules are globu-
lous; its leaves, when young, are SUBJ
,cerdiform and of uniform green color,
often twisted slightly towards the base,
or narrowly lanciolate or elongated in a
feathery point and covered with feath-
cry nerves. The flowers are aXillary;
double or ternate, sessile or furnished
with short peduncle, broad and CON-
pressed. The buds are frosted and
slightly wrinkled. In Tasmania the
eucalyptus is known as the blue gum
tree, and deserves to be placed among
the giants of the vegetable kingdom. 1t
frequently attains prodigious height.
Its wood is exceedingly hard and the
grain regular. 1t is full of rosin and
absorbs water both by its leaves and
roots with astonishing facility, which
is considered by many to be the merit
of it's prophylactic properties. 1t is
supposed to absorb the malaria Of
marshy districts and render it innocu-
Gus in the same way.
AS an instance of its drying powers,
q branch of the eucalyptus was placed
in vase of water, and locked in an iron
safe. Five days after the vase was emp
ty and dry, and the leaves withered.
The experiment was repeated in the
open air. At 6 O'Clock in the morning
a vase, one foot deep and half foot
wide at its mouth, was in like manner
filed with water, and branch OF the
tree placed therein. In the morning
the branch, after exposure to the suns
rays, weighed 12.345 grains. At 6 in
the evening the vase had lost 24.6Sl
grains of water, and the branch weigh
ed 12.731 grains. A second vase of the
same capacity, and likewise filled and
exposed to vaporization, lost during the
same period 5000 grains. Hence the
Eucalyptus Globulus in few hours alb
sorbed twice its weight of water, and
rapidly eliminated the greater part OF
it. The great fever tree was introduced
into Paris, France, in 1860, by direction
of the Government. 1t was subsequent
ly planted in Africa, Spain, Italy and
Middle France, and in many instances
large forests of the tree have resulted
The experiments with the eucalyptus are
watched with great interest, especially
by the medical fraternity.