ULMUS CAMPESTRIS. 
47 
on both sides, villose beneath along the nerves, doubly serrated, 
about three inches long and two broad, of a deep green colour, and 
stand alternately upon strong foot-stalks ; the flowers appear before 
the leaves on short spikes at the bottom of the leaf-buds ; the calyx 
is permanent, and divided at the border into five segments; there is 
no corolla ; the filaments are tapering, twice as long as the calyx, 
and furnished with short upright anthers, marked with four fur- 
rows ; the germen is round, compressed, and supports two styles 
terminated vvith downy stigmata ; the fruit is a capsule of an oval, 
oblong form, containing a roundish seed, somewhat compressed. 
Sensible and Chemical Properties. The inner bark 
(the part used medicinally) has no remarkable smell, but a some- 
what bitter, slimy taste. The external bark is brittle, contains but 
little mucilage, and is wholly destitute of both smell and taste. 
The decoction of the bark of the trunk is red, slimy, and grows 
black immediately with sulphate of iron ; that of the twigs is dark 
red or brown, draws into threads, and by evaporation yields a 
brittle, semi-transparent extract, soluble in water, but not in spirit 
of wine or in ether.* The brittle residue, when treated in the 
same manner as Klaproth treated the gum-like exudation from the 
Ulmus Nigra, afforded nearly the same results.! As the infusion or 
decoction scarcely affects the solution of isinglass, elm bark pro- 
bably contains but little tannin. 
Medical Properties and Uses. Elm bark is chiefly era- 
ployed in cutaneous diseases, and with various success. Several 
cases of lepra, ichthyosis, and other inveterate eruptions, are re- 
lated by Drs. Lysons,J Lettsom,§ and others, in which, seemingly, a 
decoction of the bark proved very efficacious ; and we are told by 
Dr. Plenck || that it is a specific for ichthyosis ; but Drs. Willan 
and Bateman think it is of little use. From our own experience, we 
cannot say much in its favour ; it appears in some instances to act 
as a diuretic, and probably may assist more active remedies in 
removing cutaneous eruptions. It is generally given in the form of 
decoction. 
Off-. The Bark. 
Off. Pp. Decoctum Ulmi, L. D. 
* Gniy's Elements. 
t Thomson's Chemistry, Fourth Ed. vol. iv. p, 695. 
i Vide Med. Trans, vol. ii.p. 203 
§ Vide 3Tedical Memoirs, p. 152. 
11 Doctrina de Morb. Cutan, p. 69. 
