The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-10-18
Is Australian Vegetation n Preventive
of Malarial Diseases

cussed among scientific mon during the
past few years the results are such as
to demand the attention of all who
reside in malarious country, and can
hardly fail to convince all that there IL
possesses q wonderful power TO conn
teraet ague aud all malarial disease.
Attention was first called to the sub
iect by French exploring expedition
which visited Australia many years ago.
The surgeons connected with this ox-
pedition observed an entire absence OF
ague and fever in that part of the world,
aud were thus led to inquire as to any
local causes which could account for
the absence Of these diseases in places
where the elements of malaria abounded,
namely a warm climate, and an abund-
ance of decaying vegetation, and
swampy lands. The most prominent
fact which arrested their attention was
the abundant growth of q species OF
tree which filed the atmosphere with
powerful aroma 1.-THE Eucalyptus or
Gura Tree). They made many ex.
periments on the leaves, gum, wood
and bark. and discovered somo Of It's
wonderful curative properties. They
also collected seed from the tree, and
planted them in the French Botanical
Garden. II would occupy too much
space to detail all the steps by which
they arrived at the conclusion that
Australian vegetation possesses power
full anti-septic and anti-malarial quail
ties. Sufiiee il 10 say that their ex-
periments resulted in the planting of
millions of Australian trees IN the
malarial districts of Southern France
and Algiers, the astonishing results Of
which are given in this brief sketch.
DIR. do Pietra Soutra. a delegate from
the Chronological Society Of Algiers,
communicates TO the Sorbonne Ia
medical institute in Parisl the result
OF an investigation made in AlgieTs, 10
ascertain the importance of the Euca-
lyptus tree in relation to public health.
It appears that reports were received
from fifty different localities, where the
aggregate of trees planted Is nearly
million, and from their reports the fol-
lowing conclusions have been drawn
"That it is ineontestibly proved that
wherever il has been cultivated, in
termittent or malarial fever and ague
has considerably decreased both in
intensity and frequency, and marshy
and uncultivated lands have been rem
dered healthy and quite transformed.
Similar results have been obtained in
Corsica, where it is computed there are
6O0, 600 trees Of the Eucalyptus Globu.
lus in full growth.
NJ. Trother reports to the French
authorities as follows a About twenty
miles from Alga at Pondouk, he says,
~ owned a property near the river
Hamyze the emanations from which
produced intermittent fever among the
farmers and their servants every year.
In the spring OF 1867 I planted upon
this farm Il, 900 plants Of the Encalyp-
tus Globulus. In the July Of that year,
the season in which the fever usually
appear, the farmers were completely
free from it, though the trees had
scarcely attained height Of more than
eight or ten feet. Since that time the
settled population has been entirely
free from fevers."
"On the banks Of the Var il situated
a garrison house the malaria made il
necessary to change the guard each
year two years ago III. Willard, the
engineer in charge, planted number
OF Eucalyptus trees in the vicinity OF
the buildings, and since that time this
post has been the most healthy in the
country"
The following il the latest evidence
obtained Formerly it was impossible
for the workmen of the great Iron
mines of Motka El Hadid in French
Algiers, to remain there during the
summer those who attempted 10 do so
died, and in order to work the mines
/ the company was compelled to take the
| laborers 70 .he mines from a distance by
railroad every morning and carry them
back at night. The company planted
more than 100, 900 Eucalyptus trees,
and now the laborers are able to live all
| the year through at the scene Of their
labor. The entire works, and the rail-
way leading to them are bordered with
thick belts of these trees, and each OF
| the miners has his cottage and garden
surrounded by them.
The following is condensed from a
paper read before the Royal Society OF
Melbourne, Australia, by the President,
entitled, lis Australian Vegetation
Fever-D Destroying =
:" In the Eucalyptus tribe we have O
vegetation absolutely Australian, as il
| exists in no other part Of the world ex-
cept where it has been planted from
/ DCS4s ]Dp'
sess in very high degree an immunit
from fever maladies, can it be traced in
any way to this order of vegetation
For this purpose propose to refer to
the chemical properties of the Euca-
lypti as a whole, and specially to those
which are known to possess curative
and anti-malarious qualities. The
chemical contents of Eucalyptus tree
are neither poisonous nor virulent
they include Tannate Gum Resin, q
Volatile Acid and Volatile Oil, pos.
sessed by no other plant in existence.
It is III these three bodies we have
the key to the question before us. Parl
Of these constituents is retained in the
tree till set free by the art of man, and
part is given off to the air by the forces
| Of the plant in union with atmospheric
agencies. Let us therefore inquire
what is its probable sanitary effect.
"There are upwards Of $50 varieties
Of the Eucalyptus tribe of vegetation F;
some of them have their medicinal
qualities in the leaves, some in the bark
! (which is very bitter) and others in
| the juices which exude from the tree
in the form of gum. All the species
are more or less medicinali in the leaves,
wood, or gum. Some species are emf.
nently so, and contain such extraor-
dinary curative properties as would