Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 07.djvu/297

* EUCALYPTUS. 263 EUCHRE. On the older twigs (lie leaves are arranged alter- nately upon the stem; each leaf is unsym- metrical with respect to its median vein, and is bo placed on the stem as to present its edge Inward the sun, a protective device to prevent excessive transpiration in the hot climate in which the trees abound. Eucalyptus trees are among the most valuable plants of the Aust ralian forests. Their timber is so varied as to meet almost, every requirement, some kinds surpass- ing most timbers in their great utility. On some species is noted the occurrence of considerable quantities of manna, a hard, brittle, sweet sub- stance containing a form of sugar known as melitose. Many species yield a kind of kino, an astringent resin, which is used in medicine and various manufactures. Tannin is a product of the bark of others, and from the leaves an oil is distilled that has many pharmaceutical and other uses, while from still others., called 'stringy barks,' are obtained fibres used for cordage, paper manufacture, and thatch for buildings. Eucalyp- tus trees have attained a more or less deserved reputation for planting in malarial districts. They are rapiil growing, and present a large leaf surface through which enormous quantities of water are given off to the air. It is probable that their beneficial action is to be attributed to their drying the soil in this way rather than to any volatile substances given off by the leaves. Whatever their action, these trees have been advantageously introduced into the Roman C'am- pagna, Cape of Good Hope, the lake region of Algiers, and elsewhere, in regions formerly noted for the presence of malaria. The species first planted with this object in view was Eucalyptus Globulus (for illustration, see Plate of Edel- weiss), but Eucalyptus robusta and Eucalyptus urnigera are said to be better adapted to this purpose. Among the more conspicuous of the many timber-trees belonging to this genus is the Jarrah wood [Eucalyptus marginata). This tree often attains a height of 80 feet without lateral branches, and at that height has a di- ameter of five feet. The timber is heavy, very hard, and is especially adapted to wharf, ship, and other marine uses, it being rated very highly on account of its resistance to the attacks of the shipworm and other borers. Its immunity is believed to be due to the large amount of astringent resin in the timber, rather than to the hardness of the wood. Eucalyptus amygda- Una is perhaps the largest, or at least the tallest, tree known. Trees 400 feet tall are reported as rather frequent, and one measured in southeast Australia was 471 feet in height. Another had a diameter of over 20 feet at the base, which was considerably buttressed, 12 feet at 13 feet from the ground, and five feet at a height of 210 feet. The timber of this species is extensively used in carpentry, as it is easily worked and does not warp readily. The tree is of rapid growth : spe- cimens in southern France attained a height of 50 feet in eight years. The blue gum (Eucalyp- tus Globulus) is a tree of rapid growth, attain- ing a height of 350 feet, and furnishes timber equal to the best oak or ash. It is extensively used for outdoor carpentry, telegraph poles, rail- way ties, etc. The tree is moderately hardy, thriving well in the south of Europe, in India, California, and Floriaa. It is less hardy than Eucalyptus viminalis, which latter has proved able to withstand the cooler temperatures of Cali- fornia considerably north of Sacramento. Trees of this pecie at the I hico Fore trj Station of California attained a height oi 80 feel in les than 12 years, and were a foot in diameter. The leaves of Eucalyptus Globulus are i ti used for the oil they contain. It i taimd by distillation, is a valuable antiseptic, ii i i peculiar camphor-like odor, and i- exten- sively used in medicine and various arts. The principal constituent of the oil is eucalyptol, which is used as a diuretic, stimulant, and anti septic, being administered in certain form ol intermittent fevers and in the dressing of wounds. The oil obtained from Eucalyptus oleo a is similar in most of its properties and uses to the oil of cajeput, which i^ obtained from Mela- leuca Leucadendron. Botany Hay Ki.no, a secretion of many of the species of Eucalyptus, is used in medicine as a substitute for kino (q.v. ). It is a resin having astringent and tonic properties. Eucalyptus resinifera was formerly considered the species which produced this substance, but a number of other species are believed to yield kino in even greater quantity. When the bark is wounded a red sap flows freely and hardens in the air into irregular, inodorous, nearly black masses. It is also found in cavities in the trunks of the trees, is commonly called red gum, and is used as a constituent in lozenges for affections of the throat. In small, thin fragments it is of a ruby- red color. It is said to contain eucalyptin, a substance analogous to tannin. Prom a single tree as much as 500 pounds of kino may be ob- tained in a season. Eucalyptus citriodora is frequently grown in pots in hothouses for its lemon-scented leaves. The oil obtained by the distillation of the leaves of this species is used in perfumery. For extended accounts of the various species of Eucalyptus and their uses, see J. H. Maiden, X a I in* Useful Plants of Australia, and The De- scriptive Atlas of the late Baron F. von Mueller, who has contributed more to the knowledge of Eucalyptus than any other person. EUCHARIS. u'ka-ris. One of Calypso's nymphs, beloved of Telemachus, in Fenelon's ro- mance of Tclemaque. The character is supposed to be meant for Mademoiselle de Fontanges, a mistress of Louis XIV. EU'CHARIST. See Lord's Supper. EUCHLO'RINE (from Gk. ed, eu, well + X^oipbc, chloros, greenish-yellow). A bright-yel- low gas that is generated when potassium chlo- rate is treated with hydrochloric acid. It was first prepared by Sir Humphry Davy, who be- lieved it to be a new oxide of chlorine, but later investigations have shown it to be a mixture of free chlorine and chlorine peroxide in varying proportions. It is a more powerful oxidizing agent than chlorine itself, and is used for bleach- ing purposes and as a disinfectant. EUCHRE, u'ker (apparently from Ger. Juchs, joke, from the 'joker' in the pack, from MHG. juch, ju, an exclamation of joy). A game of cards said to be of German origin, but now very popular in the United States. Usually thirty-two cards are used, the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes being rejected, but sometimes sevens and eights are also thrown out. Before the game is started the players cut for deal, ace high dealing, after which the cards are cut by the person