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less, porous cells in the leaves and frequently also in the stem and branches; 

 (2) the close overlapping of the leaves on the branches; (3) the sponge-like mat- 

 ting of the pendent branches around the stem. 



Sphagnum moss was officially adopted by the American Red Cross as a 

 standard surgical dressing material early in March of this year, but the enter- 

 prise here has not yet attained the magnitude which it is reasonable to expect 

 that it will in the near future. For one thing, the project here is comparatively 

 new and our American army surgeons, accustomed to using absorbent cotton, 

 seem reluctant to adopt the substitute, notwithstanding that its superiority 

 has been conclusively demonstrated. But another very serious handicap to 

 the sphagnum enterprise in this country is the lack of exact knowledge regarding 

 our resources of surgical sphagnum. In the Pacific Northwest, largely through 

 the efforts of Professor Hotson and his associates, the situation is now well in 

 hand; but in the east, while we know in a general way that the material is here, 

 we have all too few exact data regarding sources of supply. It is primarily 

 with the object of eliciting information on this subject from bryologists, who 

 of all people should be best qualified to furnish it, that the present article is 

 written. The writer is associated with the Department of Development of 

 the American Red Cross in the capacity of Botanical Adviser on Sphagnum 

 and will be pleased to examine any specimens of material which may be sub- 

 mitted. 



For the benefit of those who may be willing to cooperate, it should be em- 

 phasized that there is a great difference in different lots of sphagnum when it 

 comes to the selection of material for use in surgical dressings. First of all, 

 different species differ greatly in their capacity for absorption, degree of softness, 

 etc. Thus, of the forty species of sphagnum native to North America, only 

 those belonging to the Inophloea group (the group which includes 5. papillosum, 

 S. palustre, S. imbricalum, S. magellanicum, etc.) have been found wholly satis- 

 factory. Species of the Compachim group {S. compactum, S. slriclum) have 

 not been tried out, but ought to furnish excellent material. S. squarrosum seems 

 excellent as to foliage and probably is open to objection only on account of its 

 usually wiry stem. The species in the remaining groups, comprising about 

 three-quarters of our native sphagnum flora, are virtually useless for surgical 

 purposes, although some of them may be employed to a limited extent for special 

 purposes or in combination with material of the more suitable species. 



Speaking in general, it can be said that the more robust species of sphagnum 

 are superior to the more delicate; forms with large leaves, dense foliage and 

 close-set branches are greatly preferable to those with small leaves, skimpy 

 foliage and scattered branches. Harsh, stiff, or brittle forms must be avoided. 

 In this connection it should be further pointed out that not only is there a wide 

 range of variation in the suitability of different species of sphagnum for surgical 

 use, but in that of the same species from different regions or from different hab- 

 itats within the same region. Thus, the average quality of material from the 

 humid districts of western Washington and Vancouver is much higher than 

 anything that has been seen from the east. In grading his western material, 



