Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-10
THE FEVER-KILLING TREE.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
rTs WONDERFUL PROPERTIES.
HTfnsmi Absorbed and Malnrinl Distri.ts
Rendered He tlfhfHi--snstan' Is OF as
Efficacy in Europe and This Coaniry.

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 tr, 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 ID e.
mands Land in 1892. 1t was brought
into the south of France about the
beginning of the present century, and
noble spe linens of it are now growing
in the pubic gardens of Nice, Cannes,
Hyeres and Algiers. Its medicinal
qualities did not, however, become
known until about thirty years ago.
The Spaniards first discovered that it
was a preventive of fever, and the
colonists of Tasmania used its leaves
| for number of purposes. 1t was not
until 1860 that its full power became
known, aud as hygienic measure it
was introduced into the spanish realm
as an antiseptic. The people of Valen-
ca were suffering from m, laria fever.
Eucalyptus trees were planted about
the city. and marked improvement
in the healthfulneSs of the locality fol
lowed. So popular did it become that
the trees had to lie guarded, the
inhabitants stealing the leaves every
opportunity they had to make de-
coct ons to drink. The Spaniart
named the Eucalyptus the fever-tree,
and soon after it was introduced ipto
Algeria 1t next Travelled to the Cape
Of Good Hope, Corsica, Sicily, South
America and Ca ifornia.
Carloads attempt to introduce it
INTO Rome was not entirely new;
many years ago few dozen speci-
mems were planted about the walls,
and a though nearly al the trees lived
but few of them are vigorous. After
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-
;ane set out large plantations of Euca-
yptus trees and have tended them
with the utmost care. This may be
fairly looked upon as a decisive ex-
DER .ment. The pla known as Ire
'ontane lies some miles south of Rome
and is the seat of magnificent mon
lstery. Its climate, once healthy, N
consequence of the destruction of al
The timber in the vicinity, has become
80 deadly that notwithst landing It's
plendid bull l.ngs, rich mosaics,
marbles and frescoes, the place is
wholly deserted during the summer
months To live there in July. June
and August is said to be almost GER
,ain death.
The record of the Eucalyptus tree
IS an antiseptioanI disinlectant is eX-
,ellent. The d,stri is in when IL is
Indigenous are h althy and .ose into
which it h IS been int oduced and
5hriven have become healt y. A few
miles from Algiers is "a farm which
was once note for It's deadly fevers.
Life on it in the summer mon rs was
/ most impo ;Sible. In the y ar 1867
the owners planted 1870 Eucalyptus
trees and they grew nine feet IN thir-
teen months, and not single case of
fever peared; nor has there been any
| fever there since. Now, If the Euca-
| lyptus will make the sickly elm tie Of
tie Fontane healthy, it can safe y be
relied ON a5 an antiseptic and disinfec-
tant. and l advise those Gu. ious in such
matters to watch the success of the
1rappist monks n its Gu tvation.
| Near Constantine, Alger. "a, there
were vast swamps, never dry even in
the hottt st months, and product we of
violent periodic fevers. A Jout l4,000
Eucalyptus trees were planted there.
and hey soon ried up every square
foot of the swamp and killed off the
! feve S. Maison carrie, near Hanasch,
was once great market for quinine,
as there was much lever, but sincet 9
b.ue gum has cen plant d iere the
demand has almost entirely ceased.
Mex CO and Cuba were also, a gre It
many years ago, large consumers OF
quinIne, and as the mercantile books of
expo t. show since the ntrodu ton of
Eu :alyptus intot ose countries tn, de-
mand has greatly ia len off.
Dir. John p. Curry relates the sue
cessful comp. elton of contract T
planting 100000 slips of the Au- tralian
g .m-,ree. Eucalypt, s IN the city OF
New Or.eans. He SAYS:
"The sprouts having been raised in
q hot-house, tie planting of e.e tree
commenced six year, ago, the city gov.
eminent having at the rat of ten