The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25
DOES THE EUCALYPIUs PURIFY AIR,
Conflicting Views of the Latest Investi-
gators.

Mr.. L. ". Lyde. the Scottish eeographer. in
his recent text book on Africa says that tho
wide planting Of eucalyptus in the coast regions
OF Natal is greatly improving the climate for
Europeans" This is perhaps the latest testi-
mony 10 the alleged heaIth-glving qualities Of
this remarkable product OF Australia which has
now been introduced int most parts OF the
world where 1t will grow, There Is no doubt
that the eucal yptus IL one Of the mos, wonder
ful Of trees. but its benencent effects upon eli.
mate are strongly disputed. II was faith. now
ever. in the remarkable ella ms made for il that
brought about the wide introduction OF the
tree into southern France. Spain. Italy. AL
Reria. South Africa, Argentina and India.
The French botanist L'Heritier discovered
and named the eucalyptus IN Tasmania. in
l1SS. Little was known Of its many varieties
outside of Australia previous 20 1850. but it il
now 20 be seen in all public gardens where the
climate Is ADAPTED for rs culture. aud there are
forests and plantat oDs o, IL In southern France.
north Africa and Argentina. The spanish call
Il the best OF Trees and there are certainly
few trees that serve 80 many useful purposes.
II furnishes excellent material for buildings,
ships and furniture. approved medicines are
obtained from Its leaves and bark. and Is SAP
and resin are valued. II was. however, as "a
purifier OF the air and a rrgCnerator o. marshy
soil" that the eucalyptus gained its world wide
fame. so much interest was excited that. in
1894. our State Department instructed the
COnsuls in the countries where the tree ia
grown 10 report upon its real and supposed
advantages. and much ciriouS as we'll a. con-
fictlng Information was printed in the Con
su'ar REPORTS
1t was found in southern France. for cS-
49,. Il thnk N n1ua-.E ~ InAHlA InAy
eucalyptus branches with their cones on the
wal 5 % bedrooms with n. view TO keeplng on
feyers and getting RI OF moths. mosquitoes
and other insects. Many persons make rosa
rles Ot the burs. which they wear around their
necks.' Consul Hall said : was asserted AT
Nice mat actual results In that district proved
the usefulness OF the euCaly plus in nullifying
nalarial conditions. Consul Davis. at Florence,
sand he rec hal been adopted in Italy as the
mos effective remedy aGalns, malaria; Over
$4,000 trees were ilOurshing In tbs neighbOr-
hood of Rome, The Trappist monks In Rome
undertook the task Ot reclaiming a part Of the
,ampsGna from malaria. Sothey went out from
the city every morning. after. the sun had
cleared away the tOgs over the fevcr-breeding
pain. and planted as many trees as they could
during the LAY. Seven years after they began
the work they were abe to tax" up their per-
nlRnent residence at the convent built in the
Cam pagnn, owing 10 the greatly imnroved eli:
mate, The place whore the con vent stood had
formerly been known ~ the grave A Cow
eminent committee satisfied Itself Of the value
OF eucalyptus groves as n remedy against ma
MIRA anu pEDIh lS't W Stltnulult INC cuIIlNitlOn
Of the tree hY bounties.
ON the other hand. scientific Investigators
were not convinced that the tree possessed the
merit attributed to it, Prof. Tommaso re-
ported that up TO 1895 not a single instance
ot hygIeuic Improvement 10y the sole means Of
the eucalyptus has been ascertained but the
possibility Of 40 doing is not denied" Even
the Irappists had their lalth sorely shaken
when. during one summer ami autumn. every
man of them suffered from fever.
But the trlieI IN This peculiar efficacy OF the
cucalyu,uS Is still uashakeu in large districts.
ConsUi bowen wrote from Barcelona in 1894
that ne Spaniari- hope by rultivAtInG the tree
10 eliminate rom The atmosphere the nOXious
pxhaIatiOus OF their euu.' The world Is also
informed that the French have Introduced
the EUCALYPTUS into their African colonies.
where they expect to make II the means Of I'M.
proving the climate and soil and even ~
rendering the desert Of Sahara hahitahle amt
t..c Al roc 20 less lIsagrceable and debil tatlug."
In California, where the eucalyptus has been
introduced 10 a considerable" extent. its virtue
~ an agent OF atmuspheric publication has
apparently no. been discovered. Tho most
tru ,twOrthy testimony thus far does not favor
the claims so widrIy advance in some parts Of
Furope. The eucalyptus is n blcsslng in
Narion ways. but Their" ia reason To beliovp
that the special distinction conferred upon II in
| some places II not merItcd.