Ferdinand von Mueller

Drysdale

1

Vic.

4/1/1884

I am away from my poor home, dear Miss Bate, and do my Office-work here on the seaside, to see whether the oceanic air will subdue a dreadful cough, from which I am suffering now already more than 4 month; and as both my parents died of pulmonary phthisis, my present illness gives rise to serious apprehensions. While here I received a Christmas Card from N.S.W. I cannot make out the postal stamp, but I think it is in your hand writing adressed.

2

Card not found.

But even if it did not come from you, I know you would wish, that festival and new year should be a joyful to me; and this desire I reciprocate, and send you also a festive Card, the flowers of which will interest you.

3

Card not found.

Now I like to enquire, whether you could through the woodmen get me about 1 lb of Eucalyptus-Kino (usually called "Gum") from any of the kinds of trees, which exude it there. It is wanted for comparative chemical experiments as regards adstringency, but to make the tests valuable, it would be needful that each sample should be accompanied by a (flowering and) fruiting sprig of the very tree, which exuded the sample.

4

No evidence of Mary Bate sending Eucalyptus kino to M has been found. There is one analysis of kino gum unequivocally made by or for him included in the text of Eucalyptographia, under E. trachyphloia (Decade 5, B80.13.14) but the sources of the description under E. planchoniana (Decade 4, B79.13.11) and E. baileyana (Decade 3, B79.13.11) are undefined. M also gave details of kino analysis from determinations made by others; see for example, the text of E. marginata (Decade 7, B80.13.14). Under E. longifolia (Decade 2, B79.13.11), M included a table of analyses of 'kino-tannic acid' from bark, not gum, undertaken by L. Rummel in M's laboratory. When Rummel did this work is unknown, for, as M points out under E. leucoxylon (Decade 1, B79.13.11), some results of analyses of various kinds made in 1862 were reused in Eucalyptographia and 'utilized again for a publication of the technologic Museum of Melbourne' (?B85.14.02).

I will refund any outlay for the various kinos; indeed I could use more than 1 lb of each.