A woman packing sphagnum moss into bags at a Red Cross Supply Depot

Date:
7 Feb 1941
Location:
GLASGOW
Reference:
MED01/01/1582
Type:
Photograph (Print)
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Description

The original caption may contain language which is historic and which may no longer be considered appropriate. It has been retained in the record in the interest of historical accuracy.

The caption on the reverse of the photograph reads: “Making sphagnum moss dressings. Picture shows the moss being packed into bags, the sizes standardised by the Department of Health of Scotland being 6 x 7 inches, 7 x 11 inches, and 13 x 13 inches.”

Sphagnum moss can absorb up to twenty times its volume in liquid, restricts bacterial growth due to its acidity, and has antiseptic properties. Additionally, being commonly found throughout the UK, sphagnum moss was cheaper than the alternative of cotton wool dressings – which in the First World War had been commandeered for the manufacture of munitions. The moss was often collected by women and children, and was sorted, dried, and packed into muslin bags. These wound dressings were used extensively in the First World War, and on a smaller scale in the Second World War, but had been used to treat wounds during battles for centuries. In 1940, requests for sphagnum moss were advertised in the press, with 250 Red Cross workers in Glasgow working to process the moss that volunteers collected. See also MED01/01/1580-1581 and MED01/01/1583-1586. High-resolution copies of this image are available for free for non-commercial use. Please Enquire to place an order.

Content

This is part of the Series: MED01/01 Series of prints; within the Collection: MED01 Topical Press Agency Medical Collection

Rights

Source: Historic England Archive

People & Organisations

Photographer: Topical Press Agency Limited

Photographer: Harrison, Norman Kingsley

Keywords

Supply Depot, Second World War, Women's History, Health And Welfare