The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
=. e
A Patent Issued by the Government for
Such n Process in 1877.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 21.-While one depart.
ment of the Government is struggling with The
question of the existence Of such n commodity
as "embalmed beer and its alleged use as a
food for American soldiers. another depart.
ment has on record the details of the beef.
embalming process and has given protection
to the inventor of the article. "Embalmed
beef" in the Patent Office dates back to 1871,
when letters patent were granted for the pro.
cess, evidently the outcome of experiments
following the allowance OF patents for embalm.
ing human bodies. VIC years before.
John L. Alberger of Buffalo. New York State.
was the man who secured the original patent
for a process of preserving flesh" under let.
tiers patent No. 194.569 granted Aug. %, 1871.
The Aiberger patent covered these four points:
Il. The process of preserving flesh for food
by injecting the carcass. or any portion thereof.
with a saline solution containing carbolic or
salicylic acid. substantially in the proportions
specified. whereby the albuminous juices are
fixed and their decomposition prevented, while
the nutritive and market value Of the meat 10
correspondingly increased.
'2. The process of preserving flesh for food
by first injecting the same with a saline solu.
ton, then subjecting the injected meat to a
refrigeratinR temperature for curing the bones
and cartilages. and then immersing the in
Jected meat in brine OF suitable strength for
Withdrawing from the Injected meat any eX-
cess or supplying thereto any deficiency in
-. The process Of immcrsinG tho injected
meat for finally curing the. same in the saline
solution. which has passed through the car
cass. after the saline solution has been heated.
so as TO separate the coagulable matters from
the solution.
smoking them, then boiling the same in water.
and ID P SIs spscI thsm in siFftIght Sa 70 The p,ten,
Office with his application on April III. 1877.
Alberger claimed merit for his invention as
mon salt. through the addition of either car
bolic or ~salicylic acid, and he even went 80 far
as to declare that the acid process improved
sides increasing the weight. In his crit.
cism of the use of common salt he said:
cass simply with a saline solution is imper.
feet and unreliable for curing meat for the
saline solution injected into the arteries and
capillaries constringes the tissues. and there
by prevents the marrow bones and harder
tity Of saline solution to fully cure the same.
which frequently, causes the marrow bones.
composition. either in smoking or afterward.
The albuminous Juices. which are very apt to
putrefy. are drawn out Of the meat by the Or
binary process OF sailing or picking. while the
process of injection leaves a portion OF these
juices in the meat. without curing them where
into the composition after a greater or less
length Of time. according to the degree OF heat
TO Wnlcn IL ID exposed.
In. the patentee's process the carcass. I'm.
mediately after the animal was killed. was
prepared for injection by opening the chest
and forming apertures In both sides Of the
heart. The solution was made by mixing in
one gallon of water three pounds # salt. eiCh.
ounces, OF sugar. two ounces OF saltpetre. and
crystallized carbolic acid in the proportion OF
half an ounce to about 40 gallons. OF brine.
Saliryllc acid could be substituted for car
bolic IL like proportion.
The carcass was injected with this solution
under n hydrostatic head Of about eight feet.
expelling the blood from the vessels and per-
meating the tissues. with the solution; This
done. AlberRer claimed these superiorties
for the acid over the simple salt solution Tho
acid has the effect to fix or coagulate and re.
tain in the tissues the soluble ~albuminOus
juices. which amount to from 3 to 5 per cent.
of the weight of the animal. TIL juices, after
having been under the influence OF the car
bolic or ~salicylic acid, are no longer putre.
f~active; while they are OF great nutritlvs
value
Their, was a refrigerating, process connected
with AlberGer's plan. but this was only n de;
tail OF. the embalming: He held the injected
meat in cold storage for from three to fifteen
days, while the marrow bones and cartridges
were absorbing the acid solution.