2. Fucus vesiculosus, N.F.—Bladder-wrack.
2. FUCUS VESICULOSUS, N.F.—BLADDER-WRACK. The whole plant, Fu'cus vesiculo'sus Linné, growing on muddy rocks and floating to the shores of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, consists of long, flattened, branched fronds, upon which are dispersed blackish air-vessels (tubercles) in pairs, one on each side of the midrib. These cavities contain thin, gelatinous matter, and bear on their inner walls, when young, hair or transparent filiform cells. Odor marine-like; taste mucilaginous and saline. "Wracks" or rock weeds of other species are also collected, such as Fucus nodosus.
2a. The medicinal properties probably lie in the inorganic matter, the ash of the plant containing chlorides, bromides, iodides, phosphates, and sulphates; the organic matter is mainly mucilage. The medicinal value of the drug as an alterative has been questioned; it is used in obesity. "The fl'ext. and extract are irrational preparations, the only form in which to obtain the effects of the plant being the recent decoction (Shoemaker)."
Fucus, N.F., constitutes the dried thallus of the above plant, yielding not more than 20 per cent. of ash.
