Sphagnum from Bog to Bandage ' 



J. W. HOTSON ^ 



University of Washington, Seattle 



Contents 



Introduction 211 



Collection of Sphagnum 213 



Storing Sphagnum 216 



Baling Sphagnum 218 



Sorting Sphagnum 220 



Drying Sphagnum 221 



P^quipment of a sphagnum workroom 232 



iMaking sphagnum pads 233 



(a) A gauze cutting table 231 



(b) A spreading and folding device 235 



(c) General directions for making sphagnum dressings 236 



(d) Directions for making dressings for overseas 237 



(e) Directions for making dressings for base hospitals in U. S. . . 2 10 



Inspection of sphagnum pads 2 13 



Labeling 244 



Packing 245 



Conclusions 245 



Bibliography 246 



Introduction 



Sphagnum is the only moss for which any important economic use has 

 been reported, and the more it is studied and experimented with the more 

 varied and extensive are found to be its uses. In a former article the 

 writer (Hotson 1918a) endeavored to give a brief historv of sphagiunn 

 as used for surgical dressings both in Europe and America, especially in 

 its relation to the World War. A brief consideration was also given to 

 its distribution, habitat, structure and uses together with the results of 

 some original work on absorbency of species best adapted to surgical work. 

 It was further shown that it is on account of the great absorptive power 

 due to the pressure of large, empty, perforated cells in the stem and 



' Editor's Note — This work was done boforo the signing of the armistice and met an urgent 

 necessity. While tlie urgency is gone, the call for sphagnum dressings is likely to continue in a 

 lesser degree on tlioir merits. 



- Superintendeiil of Sphagnum Dressings for the Northwestern Division of the American Ked 

 Cross. 



(211) 



