The invention relates to a device (100) for treating wounds of the human or animal body using a vacuum and having a gas-tight wound-covering element (4), which, when placed in contact with the body of the patient, forms a wound space (10) between the respective wound and the wound-covering element, at least one connecting site (5.1; 5.2), which is in contact with the wound space (10), an absorption body (2), which is a layer, enclosed in an envelope, of a textile section, interspersed with super-absorbing particles, the envelope being permeable to liquids and having pores, the size of which does not exceed that of the super-absorbing particles. The absorption body (2), which is to be inserted in the wound space (10), has an initial volume, which enlarges in the course of the absorption process, and a final volume, so that, due to the size of the pores of the envelope, the absorbed wound secretions remain within the absorption body (2) and, with that, below the wound-covering element, until the absorption body is removed from the wound space.