BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 145 
calyx, four-toothed, sepals white, notched and 
petal-like; the flowers have four stamens and 
one pistil; the drupe, berry-like, with two cells; 
leaves opposite, entire and oval in shape, with 
parallel veins. The cornus circinate or round- 
leaved dogwood differs from the aforementioned 
by having the fruit blue, and flowering in July, 
also in some minor particulars. The cornus 
sericacez differs little in general characteristics 
from the cornus circinata, except by growing in 
swampy lands, usually being larger in size and 
somewhat dissimilar in the coloring of its branch- 
es and the pubescence of its leaves. This vari- 
ety is known in common terms as the silky cor- 
nel. The three varieties already mentioned, 
out of the seven described in the botanical works, 
are recognized as officinal or medicinal, The 
bark is collected from the root of the tree, and 
occurs in commerce in pieces of % of an inch (3 
millimeters) thick and very irregular in size ; 
when deprived of its corky layer it presents a 
brownish-red color externally, fracture fibrous 
and very delicate in structure. The bark of the 
other two dogwoods occurs in quills; they have 
identically the same medical use and contain the 
same constituents, tannin, resin, gum, cornin and 
corntc acid. The dogwood barks are astringent, 
tonic and febrifuge; the dose of the powder is 
15 to6ograins(1 toggrams). The fluid extract 
is officinal and the dose is 30 to 60 drops. Itis 
recommended in fevers and as a substitute for 
the cinchona; name obtained from the Latin 
cornu, a horn, and so-called on account of the 
hardness of its wood. 
