The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-09-14
THE FEVER-KILLING TREE.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
IT'S WONDERFUL PROPERTIES.

Among his other great enterprises
Garibaldi, the great italian hero, en-
gagged in planting the Eucalyptus, or
blue-gum tree, about Rome to prevent
the malarial fever with which the in
habitants of that city were afflicted.
AS this tree is little known in our
country some account Of it may not be
uninteresting.
According to the best authorities it
is an Australian production, and was
first discovered by the French scientist,
La Nillardiere, who visited Van De
mands Land in 1892. 1t vas brought
into the south of France about the
beginning of the present century, and
noble spe linens of it are now growing
in the public gardens of Nice, Cannes,
Hyeres and Algiers. Its medicinal
qualities did not, however, become
known until about thirty years ago.
The S|paniards first discovered that it
was a preventive of fever, and the
colonists of Tasmania used its leaves
for a number of purposes. 1t was not
until 1860 that its full power became
known, aud as a hygienic measure it
Ndo lntlOuuOtu lnOO OuO puuioh iC"Aiii
as an antiseptic. The people of Valen-
cia were suffering from malaria fever.
Eucalyptus trees were planted about
the city. and a marked improvement
in the healthfulness of the locality fol-
lowed. So popular did it become that
the trees had to be guarded, the
inhabitants stealing the leaves every
opportunity they had to make de-
coctions to drink. The ~Spaniards
named the Eucalyptus the fever-tree,
and o after it vas introduced into
Algeria. 1t next Travelled to the Cape
of Good Hope, Corsica, Sicily, South
America and California.
Carloads attempt to introduce it
into Rome was not entirely new;
many years ago a few dozen speci-
mems were planted about the walls,
and although nearly al the trees lived
but few of them are vigorous. After
a trial of many years in Southern
France it has failed to become hardy,
or suck up and destroy the poisonous
vapors Of the swamps in which it was
planted.
The Trappist monks of the Tre-Fon-
tame set out large plantations of Euca-
lyptus trees and have tended them
with the utmost care. This may be
fairly looked upon as a decisive eX-
pertinent. The pla e known as Ire
Fontane lies some miles south of Rome
and is the seat of a magnificent mon
astery. Its climate, nee healthy, in
consequence of the destruction of all
4hn f;N, how - tho ,ioinit,- hoe hannn,a
so deadly that notwithstanding its
splendid buildings, rich mosaics,
marbles and 'frescoes, the place is
wholly desert ID during the summer
months. To live there in July, June
and August is said to be almost GER
tain death.
The record of the Eucalyptus tree
as an antiseptic and disintectant is e
cellent. The districts in which it is
indigenous are healthy. and those into
which it has been init Oduced and
thriven have become healthy. A few
miles from Algiers is a farm which
was once note / for its deadly fevers,
Life on it in the summer months was
almost imro 3Sible. In the year 1867
the owners planted 1900 Eucalyptu.
trees, and they grew nine feet in thir
teen months, and not a single case OF
fever appeared; nor has there been any
fever there since. Now. if the Euca
lyptus will make the sickly elm tie OF
the Fontane healthy, it can safely be
relied on as an antiseptic and disinfec-
tant. and l advise those curious in such
matters to watch the success of thu
Trappist monks in its cultivation.
Near Constantine, Algeria, there
were vast swamps, Eve dry even il
the hottest months, and productive o
violent periodic fevers. About l4,OO(
Eucalyptus trees were planted there
and they soon dried up every square
foot of the swamp and killed off tn,
fevers. Maison Carrie, near lIanasch
was once a great market for quinine
as there was much fever, but since til,
blue gum has been planted there the
demand has almost entirely ceased
Mexico and Cuba were also, a grea
many years ago, large consumers O
quinine, and as the mercantile books o
exports show since the introduction o
Eucalyptus into those countries the de
mand has greatly fallen off.
Mr.. John p. Curry relates the sue
cessful completion of a contract fo
planting 100000 slips of the Australian
gum-tree. Eucalyptus, in the city o
New Orleans. He says:
"The sprouts having been raised il
a h~ot-house, tile planting of these tree
commenced six years ago, the city gov
eminent paying at the rate of tel
cents for each tree planted. 1t has al
ready been proven beyond question
thai this tree wien full grown al
serbs, or rather kills, the miasmas il
all malarial OF fever-ridden district
wherever planted. 1t is also believes
by scientists and many medical expert
that it will prove a safeguard agains
the spread of yellow fever, as it ha
been seen that since these trees hav
been planted in the city of New Or
leans yellow fever has not become ep.
; demic in that usually yellow fever Sc,
ton"