The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-09
THE EUCALYPTUS.
COnaicting Views OF the Latest IR-
vestiEatOFs A. to Its Purify
Ing Qualities.

Mr.. L. w. Lyde, the Scottish geog-
rapher, in his recent textbook on At
rica says that "the wide planting of
eucalyptusint the coast regions of Natal
is greatly improving the climate for
Europeans" This is perhaps the latest
testimony to the alleged health-giving
qualities of this remarkable product of
Australia which has now been intro
duced into most parts of the world
where it will grow. There is no doubt
that the eucalyptus is one of the most
wonderful of trees, but its beneflcent
effects upon climates are strongly dis
puted. 1t was faith, however, in the
remarkable claims made for it that
brought about the wide introduction of
the tree into southern France, Spain,
Italy, Algeria, South Africa, Argentina
and India
The French botanist L'Heritier dis
covered and named the eucalyptus in
Tasmania in 1888. Little was known of
its many varieties outside of Australia
previous to 1860, but it is now to be
seen in all public gardens where the
climate is adapted for its culture, and
there are forests and plantations of it
in southern France, north Africa and
Argentina. The Spanish call it "the
best of trees" and there are certainly
few trees that serve so many useful pur-
poses. 1t furnishes excellent material
for buildings, ships and furniture, APP
proved medicines are obtained from it's
leaves and bark, and it's sap and resin
are valued. 1t was, however, as "a
purifier of the air and a regenerator
of marshy sOjl'' that the eucalyptus
gained its worldwide fame, So much
interest was excited that in 1894 our
state department instructed the con-
suls in the countries where the tree
is grown to report upon its real and
supposed advantages, and much Gu
rious as well as conflicting information
was printed in the consular reports
1t was found in southern France, for
example, that ''aN classes of people
hang eucalyptus branches with their
cones on the walls of bedrooms with a
view to keeping off fevers and getting
rid of moths, mosquitoes and other in-
/ sects. Many persons make rosaries of
the burcs. which they wear around
their necIs." Consul HaII said it was
asserted at Nice that actual results in
shat district proved the usefulness Of
the eucalyptus in nullifying malariaI
Conditions Consul Davis, at Florence,
said the tree had been adopted in Italy
IS the most effective remedy against
nalaria. Over $4,000 trees were -four
lshing in the neighborhood of Rome.
Ghe Trappist monks in Rome undertook
the task of reclaiming a part of the
Campagna from malaria. So they went
out from the city every morning after
the sun had cleared away the 'fogs over
the fever-breeding plain and planted
as many trees as they'could during the
| day, Seven years after they began the
work they were able to take up their
permanent. residence at the convent
built in the CamPagna, owing to the
greatly improved climate. The place,
where the convent stood had formerly
been known as ''the grave A govern
nent committee satisfied. itself of the
value of eucalyptus groves as a remedy
against malaria and proposed to stim-
ulate the cultivation of the tree by
bounties.
| On the other hand, scientific investi-
gators were not convinced that the tree
possessed the merit attributed to it.
Prof. Tommaso reported that ''up to
1886 not a single instance of hygienic
! improvement by the sole means of the
eucalyptus has been ascertained, but
the possibility of so doing is not de-
MED" Even the Trappists had their
faith sorely shaken when, during one
summer and autumn, every man of
them suffered from fever.
But the belief in this peculiar eff
cacy of the eucalyptus is still unshakeh
in large districts Consul Bowen wrote
from Barcelona in 1894 that the Span
iards hope by cultivating the tree to
eliminate from the atmosphere the
noxious exhalations of their soil'' The
world is :. also informed that "the
French have introduced the eucalyptus
into their African colonies, where they
| expect to make it the means of improv-
/ ing the climate and soil, and even of
rendering the desert of Sahara hab-
/ liable and the sirocco less disagreeabIe
and debilitating."
In California, where the eucalyptus
/ has been introduced to a considerable
extent, its virtue as an agent of at
mospheric publication has apparently
/ not been discovered. The most trust
worthy testimony thus far does not
favor the claims so widely advanced in
/ some parts of FurODe. NThe eucalVptus
is blessing in various ways, but there
is reason to believe that the special
distinction conferred upon it in some
i places is not merited.-N. Y. Sun.
Not SO Dirty Either.
$50 Jeddings has a job doing dirty
work for the government"
what Has he turned politician2'
''No, no; not so bad as that. He's
making filthy lucre in the mint