205 



however, for demonstrating the value of the sphagnum in the 

 modern, antiseptic methods of surgery. Following the incident 

 which I have related above, investigations were set on foot as to 

 the nature and the properties both of the sphagnum and of the 

 peat to which it gives rise, and a number of papers were published 

 in German medical journals, in which the sphagnum, as related 

 to surgical practice, was discussed from various points of view. 

 And within a very few years this moss came to be accepted in 

 Germany as a standard material for surgical dressings, being 

 widely used not only in private practice but in some of the largest 

 hospitals. 



During the Russian-Japanese war, the Japanese used sphag- 

 num quite extensively as a first-aid dressing. "Many of the 

 wounds thus dressed with sphagnum were not inspected again 

 until the patient reached Japan, which often took ten days, but 

 almost invariably the wound was in good condition ; much better 

 it is said than when cotton was used."* In general, however, 

 the value of sphagnum for use in surgical dressings has not been 

 appreciated until quite recently. 



To what extent is sphagnum being utilized in war hospital 

 practice at the present time? 



Shortly after the beginning of the war it began to be feared in 

 England that there might be a shortage of cotton, and experi- 

 ments were made with various materials — oakum, wood-pulp, 

 and even sawdust — in the hope of finding some satisfactory 

 substitute. It was at this time that attention was directed 

 to the neglected possibiHties of the sphagnum. f In 1914, 

 sphagnum dressings were given a thorough try-out at one 

 of the large war hospitals in Scotland, and the results proved 

 so satisfactory that sphagnum was at once recommended for 

 general use. In September, 1915, sphagnum dressings were 

 formally accepted by the British War Office. At that time the 

 total British output of sphagnum surgical dressings was barely 



* Hotson, J. W. Sphagnum as a surgical dressing, pp. 1-31./. 1-18. Separate 

 issued by the Northwest Division of the American Red Cross. Seattle. 1918. 



t See especially a paper by Cathcart, C. W., and Balfour, I. B. in the Scotsman 

 for November 17, 1914, and one by Cathcart in Brit. Med. Journ. 38: 137-139. 

 1915- 



