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merited to a high degree by various other structural peculiarities 

 of the sphagnum plant. 



How can surgical and non-surgical varieties of sphagnum be 

 distinguished from one another? 



Just as there are a great many different varieties of roses and 

 chrysanthemums and dahhas, so there are a great many dif- 

 ferent kinds of sphagnum; and these different kinds are by no 

 means of equal value for surgical purposes. Some of them, in- 

 deed, are worse than useless. A great deal of the dissatisfaction 

 with sphagnum dressings which was expressed by army surgeons 

 in the early days of the sphagnum enterprise can be attributed to 

 the failure to appreciate this difference, and to the indiscriminate 

 use of any and all species of sphagnum in making up the dressings. 



In the little state of Connecticut alone there are no less than 

 twenty-five different kinds of sphagnum; on the continent of 

 North America there are at least forty. Of these forty species 

 only two or three are actually used to any extent for surgical 

 purposes. It is not enough, then, to know that a sphagnum is a 

 sphagnum. One must be able to differentiate between suitable 

 and unsuitable varieties. 



Now, from a botanical point of view, the sphagnums are an 

 exceedingly difficult group of plants to work with. It is a job for 

 an expert to properly identify specimens: in fact, it is a job which 

 very few botanists feel qualified to undertake. Fortunately, 

 however, the recognition of material suitable or otherwise for 

 surgical purposes is much less difficult. With a little training 

 and experience it is well within the ability of almost anyone to at 

 least distinguish with some degree of certainty between sphagnum 

 which very likely will prove of surgical value and sphagnum which 

 quite certainly will not. 



Without going too much into detail, then, we will consider 

 next just what qualities are desirable in sphagnum material 

 which is to be used in surgical dressings. 



First of all, the highest possible capacity for absorbing liquids 

 is essential; and with reference to this qualification there is a 

 wide range of variation between different species. In general, 

 the more robust varieties of sphagnum are better than the more 



