A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING NITROGENOUS ORGANIC SUBSTANCES INTO SOLUBLE PRINCIPLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Morgan (Secretary of the Inventors' Patent-
right Association, Limited), of 21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING
NITROGENOUS ORGANIC SUBSTANCES INTO SOLUBLE PRINCIPLES." A com-
munication from abroad by Jacques Mayaud, of Paris, in the Republic of
France, Chemist.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Morgan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21 October 1880.
THOMAS MORGAN (Secretary to the Inventors' Patentright Association, Limited),
of 21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex.
"A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING NITROGENOUS ORGANIC SUBSTANCES INTO SOLUBLE
PRINCIPLES." (A communication from abroad by Jacques Mayaud, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Chemist.)
This Invention has for its object a process by means of which all nitrogenous
organic substances, including woollen rags, hair, old leather, flesh, spent tan, and
the like, may be converted into a product, which, besides being a rich fertiliser or
manure, possesses the valuable property of preventing the fermentation of urino
and fecal matter and of completely disinfecting the same when ferimentation has
taken place. About twenty pounds (or 10 kilogrammes) of this product are
sufficient to prevent about two hundred pounds (or 100 kilogrammes) of urine from
fermenting, and to fix all the useful principles which it contains. It also possesses
the property of coagulating blood, and enabling it to be dried without producing
any offensive odour. This product is prepared as hereinafter described.
The operation is carried out in a boiler or vessel of any suitable form, into which
the substance to be converted, say, for example, about two hundred pounds (or 100
kilogrammes) of woollen rags is placed. Half this weight or one hundred pounds of
sulphuric acid is then added and brought to a state of ebullition. The facility
with which water is taken up by sulphuric acid causes the combination of a part
of the oxygen and hydrogen of the organic substance, and the mass speedily

page_text: becomes perfectly liquid; it contains notwithstanding a certain proportion of
carbon but in an extremely fine state of division. It is then saturated with
phosphate of lime, mineral phosphates, apatite, or bone dust, and violently agitated.
The semifluid mass is then taken out and solidifies almost immediately; a few hours
afterwards it may be pulverized and used. There is no waste of nitrogen, the
whole of this substance being retained in the product in the form of soluble combi-
nations, chiefly in the condition of phosphate of ammonia.
The quantity of phosphate to be employed necessarily varies with its richness.
When bone dust is employed two parts of the dust are required to one part of acid.
There is no disadvantage moreover in employing it in excess, but it does not then
entirely pass into a soluble condition. However, when treating woollen and cotton
rags the quantity may be considerably increased, because in this case combinations
analogous to sugar and gum are formed in which phosphates become soluble.
The quantity of sulphuric acid employed may also vary, two parts of rags or
leather to one of acid are found to give a good result; but there is no objection
whatever to employing equal quantities of rags and acids, the operation will even
be performed in less time. The fertilizer or manure thus obtained will be richer
in phosphoric acid and less rich in nitrogen.
Sometimes a small quantity of sulphurous acid is generated at the commencement
of the operation. In order to avoid this inconvenience it will be sufficient after
pouring the acid upon the substance to be converted to cover the mixture with a
small quantity of slightly damp rags. The sulphurous acid is condensed in these
rágs and returns to the condition of sulphuric acid, all waste and all smell is thus
avoided.
This improved process enables all the nitrogen of the organic matter to be
converted into a soluble principle without expense. The sulphuric acid in fact
only acts by being present, and its ulterior action upon the tribasic phosphate of
lime takes place under even more favorable conditions than in the preparation of
ordinary superphosphate. Besides this the desiccation is effected in considerably
less time. The most important property of this product is its power of fixing all
the useful principles of urine and of fecal matter, and disinfecting them at the same
time. When sewage or night soil is treated with this product the solid matter is
precipitated almost immediately and becomes much easier to dry. The liquid part
at the same time becomes enriched with a part of the soluble principle contained
in the product, and may be concentrated without waste and without smell. When
bone dust is employed for the saturation it will be sufficient to break up the bones
into small fragments when it is intended to employ the product for absorbing
urine. After the product has been kept moist for a few days the fragments of
bone are reduced to a magma which becomes an impalpable powder when the
product is dried.
This process solves the problem of disinfecting and treating night soil both from
a hygenic and commercial point of view.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Morgan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14 April
1881.
THOMAS MORGAN, Secretary of the Inventors' Patentright Association, Limited,
of 21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex.
"A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING NITROGENOUS ORGANIC SUBSTANCES INTO SOLUBLE
PRINCIPLES." (A communication from abroad by Jacques Mayaud, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Chemist.)
This Invention has for its object a process by means of which all nitrogenous
organic substances including woollen rags, hair, old leather, flesh, spent tan, and the
like may be converted into a product, which, besides being a rich fertiliser or
manure, possesses the valuable property of preventing the fermentation of urine
and foecal matter, and of completely disinfecting the same if fermentation has taken
place. About twenty pounds (10 kilo.) of this product is sufficient to prevent about
200 pounds (100 kilo.) of urine from fermenting, and to fix all the useful principles
which it contains. It also possesses the property of coagulating blood and enabling
it to be dried without producing any offensive odour. This product is prepared as
hereinafter described. The operation is carried out in a boiler or vessel of any
suitable form, into which the substance to be converted, say, for example, about
200 pounds (100 kilo.) of woollen rags is placed, half this weight or 100 pounds of
sulphuric acid is then added and brought to a state of ebullition. The facility with
which water is taken up by sulphuric acid causes the combination of a part of the
oxygen and hydrogen of the organic substance and the mass speedily becomes
perfectly liquid, but it contains notwithstanding a certain proportion of carbon but
in an extremely fine state of division. It is then saturated with phosphate of lime,
mineral phosphates, apatite or bone dust, and violently agitated. The semifluid
mass is then taken out and solidifies almost immediately; a few hours afterwards
it may be pulverized and used. The operation occupies about two hours. There
is no waste whatever of nitrogen, the whole of this substance being retained in the
product in the form of soluble combinations, chiefly in the condition of phosphate
of ammonia. The quantity of phosphate to be employed necessarily varies with
its richness. When bone dust is employed two parts of the dust are required
to one part of acid. There is no disadvantage moreover in employing it in
excess, but it does not then entirely pass into a soluble condition; however,
when treating woollen and cotton rags the quantity may be considerably increased,
because in this case combinations analogous to sugar and gum are formed in which
phosphates become soluble. The quantity of sulphuric acid employed may also
vary, two parts of rags or leather to one of acid are found to give a good result;
but there is no objection whatever to employing equal quantities of rags and acid,
the operation will even be performed in less time. The fertilizer or manure thus
obtained will be richer in phosphoric acid and less rich in nitrogen. Sometimes a
small quantity of sulphurous acid is generated at the commencement of the
operation. In order to avoid this inconvenience it will be sufficient after pouring
the acid upon the substance to be converted to cover the mixture with a small
quantity of slightly damped rags. The sulphurous acid is condensed in these rags
and returns to the condition of sulphuric acid; all waste and all smell is thus
avoided. This improved process enables all the nitrogen of the organic matter to
be converted into a soluble principle without expense. The sulphuric acid in fact
only acts by being present, and its ulterior action upon the tribasic phosphate of
lime takes place under even more favorable conditions than in the preparation of
ordinary superphosphate. Besides this, the desiccation is effected in considerably

page_text: less time. The most important property of this product is its power of fixing all
the useful principles of urine or fecal matter, and disinfecting them at the same
time. When sewage or night soil is treated with this product the solid matter is
precipitated almost immediately, and becomes much easier to dry. The liquid part
at the same time becomes enriched with a part of the soluble principle contained
in the product, and may be concentrated without waste and without smell. When
bone dust is employed for the saturation it will be sufficient to break up the bones
into small fragments, when it is intended to employ the product for absorbing
urine. After the product has been kept moist for a few days the fragments of
bone are reduced to a magma, which becomes an impalpable powder when the
product is dried. This process completely solves the problem of disinfecting and
treating night soil both from a hygienic and commercial point of view.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I hereby declare that I claim the process of converting nitrogenous organic
matter of all descriptions into soluble principles, according to the conditions herein-
before described and explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Morgan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.