Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Eucalyptus leaf oil contains a chemical (eucalyptol) that gives the herb its pleasant aroma and Healing value.

Colds and Flu. Eucalyptol loosens phlegm in the chest, making it easier to cough up. That’s why so many cough lozenges are flavored with it.

Russian animal studies show eucalyptol kills influenza, a virus that causes the most serious form of flu. And eucalyptol kills some bacteria, meaning it may help prevent bacterial bronchitis, a common complication of colds and flu.

Wound Treatment - The antibacterial action of eucalyptol also makes it an effective treatment for minor cuts and scrapes.

Cockroach Repellent - Eucalyptol repels cockroaches, according to a report in Science News.

Rx for Eucalyptus

For an inhalant, boil a handful of leaves or a few drops of essential oil in water.
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Rub a drop or two of eucalyptus oil into minor cuts and scrapes after they have been thoroughly washed with soap and water.

For an herbal bath, wrap a handful of leaves in a cloth and run bathwater over it.

For a cool. spicy, refreshing infusion to treat colds and flu, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried, crushed leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups a day. If you use the essential oil to make an infusion, do not use more than one or two drops.

Do not give eucalyptus to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

If your home is infested with cockroaches and you don’t want to use insecticides, try soaking small cloths in eucalyptus oil and distributing them around your cabinets.

The Australian Flu Remedy

Family: Myrtaceae; (includes Myrtle)

Genus and Species: Eucalyptus Globulus

Also known as: Gum tree, blue gum, Australian fever tree

Parts used: Leaf oil

If you’ve ever used Listerine mouthwash or such decongestants as Vicks VapoRub, Dristan decongestant, or SineOff, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the unique, refreshing scent of eucalyptus. And if you’ve ever seen a koala bear, you’ve also seen eucalyptus, because its long, scytheshaped leaves are the sole food source for the cute, furry marsupial.

The symbol of Australia is also Down Under’s contribution to herbal Healing. It’s a Food and Drug Administration approved cold and flu remedy.

Australian Fever Tree

Eucalyptus roots hold an astonishing amount of water. Australia’s aborigines chewed them for water in the dry outback. They also drank eucalyptus leaf tea for fevers.

When England declared Australia a penal colony and started shipping convicts in the 1780s to what is now Sydney, it took a while for the new immigrants to catch on to eucalyptus as a water source. Many early outback explorers died of thirst within sight of eucalyptus stands.

Around 1840, crew members of a French freighter anchored off Sydney developed a disease involving high fever-and cured it with eucalyptus tea. Reports of similar incidents slowly made their way back to Europe, and the herb became known as “Australian fever tree.” By the 1860s, eucalyptus leaves and oil were being used around the Mediterranean to treat the fever that had plagued the area since ancient times-”intermittent fever” or malaria. Some physicians reported malaria cures with eucalyptus, but others dismissed it as worthless.

We now know eucalyptus has no direct effect on the protozoan that causes malaria, but ironically, the tree virtually eradicated the devastating disease in much of Italy, Sicily, and Algeria, where it had raged unchecked for thousands of years. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes that live in swampy areas. Europeans planted eucalyptus in the marshlands bordering the Mediterranean, and as they grew, their roots soaked up water and drained the swamps, eliminating malarial mosquitoes’ habitat-and the disease they carried.

Catheter Oil

Eucalyptus oil was used as an antiseptic on urinary catheters in 19th-century British hospitals, where it became known as catheter oil.

America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians used eucalyptus oil as an antiseptic on wounds and medical instruments. They also recommended inhaling the vapors in steam to treat bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough (pertussis), and emphysema.

Contemporary herbalists recommend eucalyptus as a topical antiseptic, a gargle for sore throat, and an inhalant for asthma, bronchitis, croup, and the nasal congestion of colds and flu.

Used externally, eucalyptus oil is considered nonirritating, but sensitive individuals may develop a rash.

When taken internally, eucalyptus oil is highly poisonous.

Fatalities have been reported from ingestion of as little as a teaspoon.

The FDA has approved eucalyptus oil for use in food and drugs. Anyone may use eucalyptus preparations externally, although infants and children may rebel against the pungent aroma. If you develop a rash, stop using it. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, eucalyptus is considered relatively safe for cautious internal use in the very small amount typically recommended.

Eucalyptus should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If eucalyptus causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Think Twice Before Planting

The more than 500 species of eucalyptus account for threequarters of the native vegetation in Australia. Eucalyptus vary from 5-foot shrubs to the tallest trees on earth, up to 475 feet, the size of a 40-story building.

Eucalyptus grows anywhere with loamy soil and adequate water where the temperature does not dip below freezing. Plant saplings obtained at a nursery. If leaves begin to blister, cut back on watering.

Eucalyptus often kills surrounding vegetation (except other Australian plants), which is why the trees are usually found in stands with little between them.

Eucalyptus trees grow extremely rapidly, up to several feet per year, and their trunks eventually attain enormous girth. If you plant a eucalyptus, be prepared for it to dominate your yard. Horticulturists discourage planting eucalyptus because their roots break up water and sewage lines, their trunks buckle sidewalks, and their limbs have a tendency to break off in gusting winds, damaging property and endangering life.