Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus globulus Labillardiere, a plant of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). Native to Australia. Cultivated in many warm countries, in our country in the Caucasus, Crimea and Transcaucasia. A tree up to 115 meters in height, grows quickly and well drains swampy areas. The leaves, Folia Eucalypti globuli, and the essential oil obtained from them are used. The smell of the leaves is aromatic, the taste is strongly spicy, bitter and astringent. Components: essential oil from 1.6% to 3%, tannins, resin, bitter and coloring substance. The leaves of E. are collected in summer, dried and stored in tightly closed vessels. A tincture is prepared from eucalyptus leaves-Tinctura Eucalypti; it is used for intermittent fever and bronchitis, a teaspoon at a time. Eucalyptus essential oil is a colorless transparent liquid, of strongly aromatic smell, spicy and burning taste; boils at 186-190°, dissolves in double volume of wine alcohol, has specific gravity 0.910-0.920 (at 15°). Consists of cineole (eucalyptol) (more than 40%), C10H18O, camphene and pinene, C10H16. Essential oil is used for rheumatism in the form of rubbing in mixture with other ingredients; for inhalation in diphtheria, scarlet fever, whooping cough, catarrhs of the respiratory tract, in influenza. Eucalyptol (cineole) is used less frequently in medicine, in the same cases as essential oil. It is widely used as a means against insects (insecticide). Cineole is obtained not only from the leaves of E., but also from wormwood, laurel leaves, etc.