Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-01
1t Is the Latest Craze in
London.
Eucalyptus Oil Considered a
Grip Specific.
The Princess of Wales Responsible
for It's Use.
London Has a Eucalyptus Oil Epidemic.
1t Is Used Indiscriininately-N
York Physicians not Par
tial to it.

product of Southern California, though
this county is omitted in the mention
of the places where the eucalyptus is
grown:l
A special cablegram to the World from
London yesterday told how the English
nobility and populace generally were
saturating everything with eucalyptus
oil. The atmosphere OF London is said
to be reeking with the pungent ordor.
Women perfume their handkerchief
with it, spray it upon the coats of their
escorts, smell it in church and at the
theater. In short London has euca-
Typical epidemic worse than the influ-
enza it is used to prevent.
The fad was introduced by royalty it.
self. When the late duke of Clarence
was i'll his mother, the princess OF
Wales, aud her daughters carried
vinaigrettes with eucalyptus oil into the
sick room. That fact was made public
and everybody, from the nobility to the
cabman and the bobby" began. to per
tuning themselves with the oil.
Some day it may strike New York, or
at least the anglomaniac section of it.
Physicians say, however, that the grip
is on the decrease and the dreaded Wis
itation of the turpentinish odor may be
postponed until next year.
Australia.and Tasmania used to have
almost monopoly of the eucalyptus,
but its virtues as disinfectant in mala-
rial districts caused the trees to be trans
planted in other countries and already
there are enough in this country to sup
ply almost any demand. Alameda
county, California, has forest of the
trees and there are many in Florida and
other swampy districts of the south.
England's chief supply comes from Aus
tralia and Algeria. A few years ago the
low country around Rome, Italy, was
planted with eucalyptus trees and hun
dreds OF other localities have forests OF
the santi-zymotic growth to provide
oceans of oil for the faddists. The Lon
doners are using it everywhere and in
everything. Sweet-toothed girls drop
the oil on their caramels and bon-bons,
and old maids use nothing else in their
smelling bottles.
London nostrils are now said to be
paint-proof. The oil smells like turp-
entine, and on going into crowd one
is impressed with the idea that he is
in the midst of turpentine orchard or
a paint shop with all the cans opened.
The princess of Wales is responsible,
but the English people point to the
pharmacop9ia for their excuse.
According to the United States dis
pensatory, the sanitary properties of the
oil of eucalyptus or oleum eucalypti are
we'll established. 1t is distilled from
the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, of
which there are over one hundred and
thirty-fve described by botanists. 1t is
a colorless or very pale yellowish liquid,
having characteristic aromatic odor,
pungent, spicy and cooling taste and a
neutral reaction. The taste is not pleas
ant, any more than turpentine is, and
for that reason it is ordinarily put up
into capsules. London, though, takes
it any way, since it is the fad.
The EUCALYPTUS globulus, from the
leaves of which the oil is chiefly dis
titled, grows to be as high as $50 feet.
The leaves are a glaucous-white or
bluish-green color and sometimes are
foot long. Miasmatic localities have
been made healthy by the planting of
these trees, the leaves of which absorb
the moisture from the swamps and evap-
crate it quickly. The volatile oil in the
leaves also has its effect in dissipating
zymotic conditions. As a stimulating
narcotic the oil of eucalyptus has been
used with success in migraine and other
forms of neuralgia to which afistocratic
and highly sensitive organisms are prone.
Cigarettes are made from the dried
leaves, and if the London fad is ever
adopted here eucalyptus cigarettes will
seriously threaten all the known brands.
None are On the market now.
So far as could be learned Yesterday
no prominent physicians of New York
have prescribed eucalyptus oil as a
remedy for the grip. Specialists in
throat troubles like DIR. I'll. Holbrook
Curtis, DIR. Lincoln and DR.. Culpert
have used it long time for grip COM
plications in their special line. But as
specific remedy no one has employed it.
DR.. Abraham jacob, who has seen
great deal of the grip in its worst phases.
said he did not think the oil of eucalvp.
tus was worth much as remedy for the
grip.
ut is disinfectant, but whether it is
any better than those we already have
is matter of serious doubt" said he.
1--WE have no specific for the grip, and
physlcians use what they think best,
according to the symptoms. The oil OF
eucalyptus is not new to medicine by
any means, and because it has become a
craze in London is by no means a rea-
son why it should be prescribed by ply
sicians. The princess of Wales is only
a woman, but one with less pretension,
| imagine than some we have here who
sign their names to newspaper commu-
nications as members of the four hun
dred. If people like the odor of the oil,
why, let them use it."
DR.. S. D. Ferry said he had never
used the oil in his cases of grip. "It
may be beneficial, but don't see how.
Salicylate of soda and quinine l have
found to be good remedies in my prac-
tice, but there is no specific. We don't
know yet what the grip is, but believe
it is CONTIGUOUS. 1t is less virulent this
year than last, but just why / am un-
able to say"
DR.. J. T. Pray said he had not used it
either. Said he: ''It is disinfectant,
and like all disinfectants is doubtless
good during the prevalence of epidem-
les. know nothing of 1T, though, and
don't think we will have much use tor
it here"
Nowadays a frequent and painful disease,
rheumatism. can be permanently cured bv
salvation OIL All druggists keep it. Price,
25 cents.
Drink DELBEcK CHAMPAGNE, n. ]. woolla-
cOtt. agent.