History of Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia and Tasmania, comprising 75% of all trees in Australia. The tree is a fast growing evergreen that ranges 375 to 480 feet in height. The bluish green leathery leaves serve two main purposes: they are the only foodsource for koala bears and the leaves contain fragrant oil that is used for medicinal purposes.

The Australian aborigines have used Eucalyptus leaves as a tea and ointment in treating disease for centuries. They discovered that Eucalyptus was a remedy for fever, coughs, asthma and joint pain. The Aborigines applied an ointment made from the leaves on their children to relieve the pain of insect bites, burns and skin irritations. When the early Australian settlers arrived, they adopted the Aborigines’ use of the Eucalyptus leaves; in fact, they called the Eucalyptus tree “the fever tree.” 

Dennis Considen and John White, British surgeons on the First Fleet, used Eucalyptus oil to treat chest problems of convicts and marines in 1788 after seeing the Australian settlers extracting the Eucalyptus oil. Later in the 1800s, the German Dr. Colez started using the oil not only as antiseptic, but for bacterial conditions as well. Doctors Faust and Homeyer introduced Eucalyptus as a cure for respiratory problems, flu, bronchitis, asthma and coughs. 

In 1855 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller saw the benefit of Eucalyptus as an antiseptic and a disinfectant for fever. By 1880, Eucalyptus oil was being used by surgeons during surgery. Joseph Bosisto, a Melbourne pharmacist, pioneered commercial production of Eucalyptus oil in Victoria, Australia during the 1850s and 1860s. By 1900, Eucalyptus was an expanding industry. Eucalyptus oil was also used to control an meningitis outbreak as well as the influenza outbreak of 1919.

The next time you reach for a jar of Vicks VapoRub, look at the package directions. You find that rubbing it on your chest and throat will temporarily relieve coughs due to the common cold.  Having minor aches and pains? Rub it on muscles and joints. Then check the ingredients; the first three ingredients are petroleum jelly, camphor and Eucalyptus.