Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
December,  1901.  j 
Sponges. 
587 
compare  with  Exhibit  No.  I),  say  one  part  of  acid  to  twenty  of 
water,  allowing  them  to  remain  in  until  the  dark  color  is  taken  out 
of  the  sponge,  then  thoroughly  washing  in  water.  This  process 
does  not  injure  the  sponge,  and  makes  it  look  cleaner. 
Key  sheepswool  is  a  good  form,  soft  and  close  fibre,  lacking 
strength,  owing  to  the  iron  in  the  sponge,  which  is  signified  by  a 
bright-red  color  at  the  root  and  running  entirely  through  the  struc- 
ture of  the  sponge.  It  is  extensively  bleached  and  looks  nice,  but 
wears  badly,  owing  to  the  excessive  use  of  acids  necessary  to  ab- 
stract the  iron  from  the  sponge. 
Abaco  sheepswool  somewhat  resembles  the  Rock  Island,  though 
lacking  its  strength. 
The  Cuba  sheepswool  resembles  the  Key  variety,  being  lighter 
in  color. 
The  Nassau  being  the  coarsest  grade  and  is  irregular  as  regards 
the  horny  fibres,  firmness  and  shape. 
The  velvet  sponges  (Exhibit  No.  8)  of  which  there  are  several 
varieties,  i.  e.,  Abaco,  Cuba  and  Cay  from  the  West  Indies,  also  a 
hard  variety  from  Florida,  are  much  used  as  cheap  carriage  sponges 
and  for  general  purposes,  being  moderate  in  price.  The  Abaco 
Exhibit  No.  9)  and  Cuba  velvet  are  the  best,  and  much  resemble 
sheepswool.  A  large  hole  at  the  top  of  this  sponge  spoils  its 
utility.  The  Cay  variety  is  the  one  largely  used,  being  more 
abundant.  The  Florida  velvet  is  coarse  and  hard,  and  is  not  gen- 
erally liked,  except  for  certain  manufacturing  purposes.  Owing  to 
a  hole  in  the  top  of  this  grade  of  sponge  many  people  prefer  the 
cut  sponges,  i.  e.y  the  large  sponges  cut  up  and  trimmed,  thus  ob- 
taining a  nice  solid  sponge  minus  the  holes.  The  yellow  (Exhibit 
No.  10)  sponge  has  also  several  varieties — Nassau,  from  the  West 
Indies ;  Key  and  Matacomby,  Florida,  which  are  a  good  shape,  but 
rather  brittle,  and  are  used  chiefly  among  the  painters,  bricklayers 
and  for  household  purposes.  The  best  of  these  are  the  Matacomby 
and  Key.  There  is  also  a  species  of  yellow  sponge  called  "  hard 
head  "  (Exhibit  No.  1 1),  and  this  is  what  its  name  implies — a  "  hard  " 
sponge.  One  variety,  however,  from  Cuba  (Exhibit  No.  12)  has  a 
fine  texture  and  is  soft,  though  somewhat  brittle,  and  is  valuable, 
bleached,  to  take  the  place  of  a  surgeon  sponge. 
The  grass  sponge  (Exhibit  No.  13)  is  of  a  very  poor  species  and 
very  low  in  price.    It  is  chiefly  used  for  manufacturing  purposes  by 
