Sphagnol

A phenolic compound isolated from sphagnum moss and commercially marketed as a wound antiseptic in the early 20th century — one of the earliest named, commercialized peat-derived active ingredients, predating the modern humic-substance research that now dominates the field.

Plain-Language Summary

“Sphagnol” is worth knowing as a term even though the product itself is long discontinued: it names a specific historical episode — the World War I practice of using sphagnum moss as field wound dressing, when cotton was scarce and sphagnum’s natural absorbency and antimicrobial character made it a practical substitute. Sphagnol was the purified active principle marketed out of that practice. The term shows up in older peat literature and in the “why does peat have antimicrobial folklore” question that modern humic-acid and phenolic-compound research eventually answered with better characterization.

Modern Status

No longer commercially produced under this name. The antimicrobial phenolics it represented are now understood as part of the broader phenolic-compound class in peat, alongside tannins — see Phenolic Compounds.

Where the Data Lives

This page is a plain-language orientation. For the substance-level entry, including sourcing/provenance caveats on some of the historical claims, see Sphagnol.