Eucalyptus

Scientific name: Eucalyptus globulus.

Common name: eucalyptus.

English name: eucalyptus, southern blue gum.

Parts used: leaves.

Components: essential oil, tannins, polyphenolic acids, flavonoids.

Properties: antiseptic, antibacterial.

Curiosity: the Australian aborigines were the first to discover the medicinal properties of the Eucalyptus tree. The first Europeans explorers of those lands used the infusion of eucalyptus leaves to treat fevers caused by various infectious agents. The leaves were also smoked to treat insomnia, particularly in asthmatics, and applied fresh as compresses to treat sores.