diff --git a/MeshLib/Elements/Element.cpp b/MeshLib/Elements/Element.cpp
index e19affcec61bdd4e1b4e81fada189447122f2d47..87679ffe4bb264e173f1757fa11755faeba3e156 100644
--- a/MeshLib/Elements/Element.cpp
+++ b/MeshLib/Elements/Element.cpp
@@ -18,11 +18,6 @@
 
 namespace MeshLib {
 
-/*
-Element::Element(Node** nodes, MshElemType::type type, unsigned value)
-{
-}
-*/
 Element::Element(unsigned value)
 	: _nodes(NULL), _value(value), _neighbors(NULL)
 {
diff --git a/MeshLib/Elements/Element.h b/MeshLib/Elements/Element.h
index 56fc9d62868e301f4a7dacbb24a77feb97034de6..fc68abb83b6cef30320612f928ddb5483165fa29 100644
--- a/MeshLib/Elements/Element.h
+++ b/MeshLib/Elements/Element.h
@@ -124,7 +124,11 @@ public:
 	 */
 	virtual FEMElemType::type getFEMType() const = 0;
 
-	/// Get the value for this element.
+	/**
+	 * Get the value for this element. The value can be used to store a link
+	 * to external information (for instance an index of a field) like material groups.
+	 * @return
+	 */
 	unsigned getValue() const { return _value; };
 
 	/// Returns true if elem is a neighbour of this element and false otherwise.
@@ -172,6 +176,9 @@ protected:
 
 
 	Node** _nodes;
+	/**
+	 * this is an index for external additional information like materials
+	 */
 	unsigned _value;
 	Element** _neighbors;