Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1885. 
Pine  or  Forest  Wool. 
101 
The  acicular  leaves  of  pines,  firs,  and  conifers  in  general,  are  com- 
posed of  a  bundle  of  fine  and  tough  fibres,  surrounded  and  kept 
together  by  a  resinous  substance.  Boiled  with  an  alkali,  the  resinous 
substance  is  dissolved,  when  it  is  easy  to  separate  the  fibres  and  to 
wash  and  free  them  from  all  foreign  substances. 
According  to  the  process  employed  and  the  leaves  used,  the  woolly 
substance  is  of  a  fine  quality  or  remains  in  a  coarser  state. 
In  the  first  case  it  is  used  as  wadding — in  the  second  for  upholstery 
purposes. 
The  first  use  that  was  made  of  this  filamentous  substance,  was  to 
l' substitute  it  for  cotton  or  wool  wadding  in  quilted  blankets.  In  1842 
the  hospital  of  Vienna  bought  500  of  these  blankets,  and  after  a  trial 
of  several  years  a  further  supply  was  ordered.  It  was  observed  that 
under  the  influence  of  pine  wool  no  noxious  insects  sheltered  in  the 
beds ;  it  was  found  also  that  the  aroma  was  agreeable  to  the  occupants. 
Soon  after  the  workhouse  of  Vienna  was  furnished  with  similar  quilted 
blankets. 
Similar  articles,  as  well  as  mattresses,  stufl:ed  with  the  wool,  have  . 
been  used  in  the  hospital  of  charity,  in  other  hospitals  at  Berlin,  and  / 
in  the  barracks  of  Breslau. 
An  experience  of  five  years  in  these  establishments  has  proved  that 
articles  made  of  pine  wool  are  very  useful  and  durable,  never  troubled 
with  moths  and  only  one-third  the  price  of  horsehair.  Besides,  it  can 
be  spun  and  woven.  The  finest  quality  gives  a  yarn  resembling  hemp 
and  equally  strong.  Spun  and  woven  as  cloth  it  yields  a  fabric  that 
may  be  used  for  carpets,  horse  blankets,  etc.  The  exhibitors  of  these 
products  were  awarded  a  bronze  medal  at  the  Exhibition  of  Berlin, 
and  a  silver  one  at  that  of  Altenburg. 
Such  is  the  account  given  by  Professor  Morren  of  the  pine-wool 
productions,  but  I  am  informed  that  the  quilted  blankets  referred  to 
by  him  are  not  now  used  in  the  Vienna  Hospital,  straw  having  super- 
seded the  pine  wool  as  a  stuffing  for  mattresses. 
Bentley^  says  :  From  the  leaves  of  this  species  (Finus  sylvestris), 
the  substance  called  pine  wool  or  fir  wool  is  prepared.  It  is  used  for 
stuffing  mattresses,  etc.,  and  is  said  to  be  repulsive  to  vermin.  Wad- 
ding for  medical  use,  and  cloth  for  various  articles  of  dress,  etc.,  are 
.also  manufactured  from  these  leaves." 
1  "  Manual  of  Botany,"  1882,  p.  678. 
