Abstract: Curcuma is a kind of Chinese traditional drug commonly used in treating psoriasis,as effective component of which,β-elemene,has been shown bo possess a suppresive effect on experimental neoplasm.Using mouse tail scale epidermis-mouse vaginal cpith clium as an experimental model system,the authors studied the pharmacological eft,ct of the drug in relation to the treatment of psoriasis.It was shown that the drug,when given intraperitoneally,possesses both,effects of inhibiting the mitosis of epithelial cells and promoting the formation of epidermal granular layer,and the latter one is more prominent.This suggests.that the pharmacological effect of β-elemene differs from that of cytotoxic drug by possess more prominent effect of promoting differcntiation of keratinocytes.