The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-16
Moss HEALS BATTLE
WOUNDS OF LEGIONS

81 ryrsvv HAVEN, June l5.-la an M
s.vJsSr With George E. Sichois. P'oI,Sar
& 40 ! botany in the Shefheia -
3rhool OF Yale University ~" ~
,aere brought out concernlhs ,"I ,bs
s.,,,.a IN surgical dressings durins Tue
-. Pnof Nichols was botanical az
s -. 5or the American Red cross anu
s.5 r,ore than airy other Individual 10
s.ae,cauce the use Of sphaSuum moss
49,. ar American medical profession
for surgical purposes ,, ,,ssd
FOR many years in surgery out ne'e.
before in this country. IN Con'aseN'
alone thepe are twenty-five Ny.,s
Stna. of sphaEnum and on the Norlh
A-arican continent there arc at leas'
@orty or these forty only two OF three
are actually used.
During the war DR.. Nichols maze eN-
I. frnstye studies OF various regions "ne.e
snha xnum Is found and e1pleineo meta
DDS of collecting and or making 'hIo
dressings. and IN March. l9ls. the Amer
/ ican Red Cross officially adopted thlS
moss Since that date orr Red cross
has turned OF, more than half milton
anhnxnum dressings for the Italian
army and something more than %o,ocu
month for the American war hospl'aIS.
IN September. 1918. the British war OF
Ace formally accepted sphaSnum moss
dressings and year later England was
turning out 10000 a month. and eerore
Che close of the war almost n million.
The Canadian Red Cross AVERAGED Suo'-
ooo nj these dressings per month.
In Scotland and Ireland SphaEnuHl
moss has been used for many centuries
for the same purposes as tcday. ana IL
wa used by army surgeons IN the va
poleonic. the rranco-Prussian. and the
RnSso-Japanese wars.
d In this country there were several
reaSons why il did no. come into gcner-
N use. the chief Of which was because
nur army surgeons. accustomed 70 the
saxe Of absorbent cotton and SUI nav
Snr plenty OF this on hand. hesitatcd
about using a substitute. SpnaGnum
moss Is far superior 10 cotton. in many
ways, such as its better quality. cheap
ness Of manufacture. and It's TAR su-
perior absorbent qualities.
Sphagnum moss is small low plant
commonly pale green when wet and al
most white when dry. although II may
be any shade from bright red and pinS
70 russell green and dark brown or al
most black. The sphagnun most adapt
able for surgical use is called Sphagnum
papilosum. and rs absorbent quality is
due TO 9 peculiar pore structure in us
leaves.
y In general. sphagnum grows in wet
in cool humid regions. such as New
f5rndland. Nova Scotia. and New Bruins
wick Vancouver Island. and western
Washing on although il is known 10
grow as far south as New Jersey. In
boys the sphaGnuo grows most luNuri-
antly. especially IN tho boys where
cranberries may nc found.
This surgical moss Is pulled up bod
5ly. the moisture squeezed out OF 1t. and
: any coarse plants that may be present
removed and hen washed. Next tn"
moss Is air-dr!cd and then separated
: into two or more grades. In making IN"
surgical dressings Of this material first
"a layer OF cheap non-ahsorb"nt cotton
the size OF the dressing is laid down.
Over this is spread layer Of sphaG-
mum and over the Sphagnum is laid a
double layer Of very thin gaUzc paper.
The whole is then enclosed in a gauze
outer wrapping. These dressings arc
then run through clothes wringer 70
fasten them out. After this treatment.
they are sent 70 tn" hospitals. whore
: they are sterilized before being used.