Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-16


We n'tioe the following article in the ''Edi
tors Scientific Record" in the December num-
Der of H0gPers NGgGziHe-
"a substance called AssDtin has recently been
introduced into trade by Swedish dealer As n
PTeservafivc material for milk. meat &c This
y said to be simply boIacic acid, or borax. The
double aSelilE consisting of two parts of borax
To one part OF alum Putrefaction is said to b..
prevented ~ the addition of this preparation
but niOuldIness in animal substances is not Al
though very short time has elapsed since aseD-
tin has been brought into notice, thousands of
pounds are now sold, almost daily in Seandina-
via and Germany"
We wish to remark that aseptin was also pat
ented III this Ountry and the specification in the
Patent Office describes the compound as CON
siSting Of b0rie acid. alum, sugar, common salt.
gum tragacanth. and chloric acid. ~ wemen-
ton these facts because we believe aseptiu lei
10 discovery of really great value by one of
our cwn oiJizens-ProfessOr Oldberg-wbo
though educated in Sweden. is now identified
With uS, and Ills with honor the chair of phar-
maceGtical chemistry in Howard University.
having previously occupied the same position in
Georgetown college.
Professor -. hearing of the remarkable prod
critics Of ptin. and being interested in all use
full scientific discovery. was led to inyestiva,e
the matter, and though disappointed to find the
lncongruous mixture described in the specitica-
ton OF the patent, he satisfied himself by expe-
riment, of its preservative qualities, and also
that these -eTe due alone 10 the Joric acid,
This substance, under the name of ..sepan.',
ne endeavored TO introduce into the market as
1000 preservatiVe, having strong certificates
from such men a. Professors Antisell and TIL
den, OF the United States Department of Agri-
culture, as 10 its perfect harmlessness Oysters,
treated With sepan, were sent during the hot
weather from New York to Chicago without be-
coming in the least tainted, and other demon
stTations OF It's preservative powers were given:
hut, although occular evidence Of the fact that
milk and cream could be kept perfectly sweet
hany days by the addition of a small quantity
of sePan, MI Adams, of the Leona dairy In this
city, and other large milk dealers were afraid
OF III ana refused TO Use it. Continuing his ex-
periments, Professor Oldberg finally made the
important discovery that concentrated solution
of bCric acid would dissolve and hold in solution
large quantities Of any Of the balsamic gums,
such as benziEe ,myrrh, balsam OF Peru, Tolu
&c But willie the presence Of these gums in
The new compound (Which he patented, and calls
''Borobaisanine.' , was found to prevent Mould
'ReSs IN organic substances preserved by it, vet
further attempts to introduce il As a food pre-
serVanve in this country, were abandoned, be-
cause OF the wider field of usefulness and profit
which he saw open before him through the cur
effrs properties il now possessed. Logical rea-
- ming and conclusion, as well as repeated suc-
'esfui trials satisfied him that for the treatment
81 all skin DISEASES he had, in this powerful an
septic, combined with the we'll known healing
i-operties OF the resinous balssms, remedy des-
'.Aed to supercede all others now in use. whe-
'Eer this expectation will be realized, we are
Enable to say, but the facts above stated were
communicated TO US by a gentleman Of high
landing i'm the community, and we publish
hem because OF the interest this discovery ia
weakening in the minds Of scientific man