In Switzerland very few plants contain iodine. Iceland moss, lung moss, reindeer moss, larch moss (Usnea) and carrageen (also called Irish moss) are some of the plants that do contain vitamin A and a reasonable amount of iodine, as has been proved by the pharmacologist Professor Gessner. In Switzerland there are thirty-eight different varieties of these mosses, which are described in botanic terms as lichens. Professor Gessner reports that these additionally contain antibiotic substances with a strong tuberculostatic effect. Some of these lichens are used in Usneasan drops and Usneasan Cough Lozenges. Genuine eelgrass (Zostera marina) and thrift [Armeria maritima), which can be found on the shores of the North and Baltic Seas, contain iodine, fluoride and bromide, three essential trace elements. Small amounts of iodine are also found in watercress.
All seaweeds contain iodine, the amount varying according to the kind and where it grows. The species known as bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) grows to a size of 5 cm (2 inches) wide and 1 metre (3 feet) long. Its iodine content varies between 0.03 and 0.1 per cent, and it is used to treat obesity, struma and scrofula. However, it is unsafe for some people to take large amounts of this seaweed, especially those with a sensitive thyroid.
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