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much greater amount than absorbent cotton. A pad made of 
much as cotton, and exceptionally eae moss will absorb as 
much as twenty-two times its weight of w: 
In the third place, the sphagnum ie retain liquids much 
better than cotton. This means, of course, that a sphagnum 
In the fo place, ‘the better qualities of sphagnum have 
e valuable property of distributing whatever liquid ab- 
sorb thro t mas: absorbent pad of 
: si 
sphagnum will continue to suck up fluid discharges until it is 
pretty en saturated throughout. This is a very impor- 
tant fea A cotton pad ordinarily ceases to function long 
before its aor ee has been reached. 
ow in ordinary hospital work, as Professor Porter points out, 
any great consequence. Here, for the most part, the wounds are 
the result of operations and they are made by the surgeon him- 
self. They are comparatively slight, and, what is particularly 
X : urt ea 
so successfully developed by Carrel, Dakin, and others deliber- 
ately increase these discharges to a very great extent. For such 
cai . sphagnum is greatly preferable to any other available 
material."” 
In this connection it might be mentioned that when it is dry, 
the sphagnum is very light, and many varieties are v: y 
Sphagnum of the quality insisted on for surgical dressings is 
quite as soft as cotton. 
Finally, there is one other eee in which the sphagnum is 
distinctly superior to cotton; and this is a matter of great practi- 
cal importance. Sphagnum is oon er than cotton. Being a 
product of nature, pure and simple, all that you have to do is to 
