Dry gauze used to stanch bleeding in the open wound has, in the experience of most surgeons, been both life saving and hazardous. Hemorrhage has been checked which might otherwise have proved fatal, but the subsequent removal of the gauze which stuck to the raw surfaces often resulted in fresh bleeding, and the danger of infection was great. Packing frequently obscured infection in the depths of the wound and blocked drainage. In fact, so great is the risk of promoting infection by this means that strong directives against the use of tight packing in wounds have been issued by both American and British military surgeons. Some time ago in the search for a nonirritating absorbable membrane for use in plastic repair of special structures such as tendons in a sheath, a material was proposed by Dr. Hans T. Clarke, professor of biochemistry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and