IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF SUPPLYING AND ADMINISTERING GASES FOR THE ALLEVIATION AND CURE OF CERTAIN THOTION
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Harman Barth, of 4, Mornington Crescent,
Hampstead Road, in the County of Middlesex, Medical Galvanist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF SUPPLYING AND ADMINISTERING
GASES FOR THE ALLEVIATION AND CURE OF CERTAIN THOTION"
Sealed the 12th September 1854, and dated the 17th March 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Harman Barth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th March 1854.
I, GEORGE HARMAN BARTH, of 4, Mornington Crescent, Hampstead Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Medical Galvanist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF SUPPLYING AND
ADMINISTERING GASES FOR THE ALLEVIATION AND CURE OF CERTAIN DISEASES" to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of supplying oxygen, protoxide of nitrogen,
and other gases diluted with air for the treatment of certain diseases, and to
the apparatus or instruments for effecting the same. One mode of effecting
this object is by employing a portable gasometer, having a core or solid cylinder
inside, for the purpose of dispensing the atmospheric air previous to filling the
gasometer for use. A scale is fitted to the gasometer for measuring the
contents of the same, and suitable stop cocks applied for regulating the
supplying of the gasometer with gas, and also the passage of the
gas therefrom
to the inhaling tube. The inhaling tube consists of a flexible pipe fitted with

page_text: a glass mouthpiece. Between the mouthpiece and the gasometer is a vessel
containing two valves, one allowing the gas to be. inhaled, and the other
allowing it to escape into the room after having been respired. The gasometer
is supplied from a strong wrought iron vessel, which may be placed under the
pedestal or in the core or cylinder before mentioned. The gas is compressed
into this vessel by a force pump, and a sufficient quantity may be contained
therein to supply the patient for a considerable period. When one vessel is
empty another one ready filled may be connected with the gasometer. It is
obvious that many different arrangements of apparatus may be employed in
effecting these objects, the main feature of my Invention being the supplying
in a portable.and compact form gases for medical use by compressing the same
in strong chambers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said. George Harman Barth in the Great Seal-Patent Office on
the 16th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL-COME, I, GEORGE
HARMAN BARTH, of 4, Mornington Crescent, Hampstead Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Medical Galvanist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, "bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said, George Harman Barth, Her special license that I, the said George
Harman Barth, my executors, administrators, and assigns,, or such others, as
I, the said George Harman Barth, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF SUPPLYING AND ADMINISTERING GASES FOR THE ALLEVIATION
AND CURE OF CERTAIN DISEASES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Harman Barth, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Harman Barth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to. be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by.the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and .to..the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say::-.
My said Invention relates to an apparatus for supplying condensed oxygen
gas or other gases, and measuring and diluting them with common air in a form
suitable for inhalation when required to be used for curative purposes.. The
object of supplying the gas in a condensed state. is to render it more con-
veniently portable, and thus obviate the difficulty which otherwise exists in the
conveyance of aeriform bodies from the place where they. are prepared. to
the invalid's chamber where they are. to be used. This forms à principal
feature in my Invention.
Another feature in my Invention relates to the connecting and adapting a
vessel of condensed gas to a gasometer, in which any given portion of gas can
be measured and mixed with air previously to being inhaled, and the con-
cealing it in the case of the water vessel belonging to the gasometer. .. The gas.
is. measured by means of a graduated scale engraved accurately upon the rod
which guides the gas holder in its ascent, the scale being referred to a fixed
point independant of the gas holder; for instance, it may be attached to, the
water vessel. The gasometer is provided with a stop cock for the admission of
air, as well as with another stop cock, to which is attached a flexible tube and
mouthpiece of glass, or other suitable material, through which the mixture_of
gas and air is to be inhaled. And in order that my said Invention may be
properly understood I shall now proceed to describe the Figures on the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto attached.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with the gas, holder empty;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation arranged for
use, showing the gas bolder full of. gas, and how the gas is conducted into the
ga's holder;. Figure 4 is a.sectional plan of the apparatus, showing the vessel
of compressed gas in its place, as well as the internal parts:
..A is the water. vessel or tank of. the gas holder C... This tank is made with
á hollow core or cylinder B, so as to avoid the use of much water, and afford
a convenient place for the wrought iron bottle E;. the tank A also supports.&
bridge piece G, which steadies the guide rod. F of the.gas.holder. The bridge
piece G is made removable for the. convenience of packing; the tank has
handles, as shewn in the Drawings, to lift it off the mahogany stand D.
The wrought iron bottle E has screwed into its side at the bottom a pipe, to
which is fixed the stop cock N, whence a suitable tube.proceeds to the top, of the

page_text: core of the tank, and there delivers its gas into the gas holder just above the
water line; at P is a union joint for connecting the bottle E with the tube pro-
ceeding to the top of the core. The guide rod F is divided, so as to represent
pints of capacity of the gas holder, and the proportions of gas and air are
thereby easily mixed when required. The gas holder C has properly secured
to its top two air-tight cocks K & M. The cock K is to admit the quantity
of air required to dilute the oxygen or other gas, and the cock M communicates
with a flexible tube and glass mouthpiece indicated by the letter H. The
mahogany stand D has fittings to place the bottle E in, and the tank and gas
holder are fastened to it by turn buttons for the convenience of removal; the
stand D is also mounted on castors for the convenience of removal. The
bottle E being charged with compressed gas, and the tank A properly
filled with water, the mixing and inhaling of the gas by this apparatus is as
follows: The cock K is opened, and the gas holder C is gently drawn up by
means of the ring at the top of the guide rod F until the gas holder is charged
with the quantity of air required for diluting the gas, as shewn by the division
at the under side of the bridge piece G; the cock K is then shut and the
stop cock N slightly opened, thus admitting to the gas holder a small quantity.
of gas out of the bottle E. When the graduated guide rod F shows that
sufficient gas has been admitted the stop cock N is shut, and the apparatus is
ready for the patient to inhale. To inhale, the lungs are exhausted of air by
making a strong expiration; the glass tube is then taken into the mouth, and
the inhaling cock M is opened, and the lungs filled by inspiration with the
gas from the gas holder. The cock is then shut, the mouth is removed from
the glass tube, and an expiration is made; then the gas is inhaled as before,
and then exhaled, and so on alternately until the prescribed quantity has been
consumed by the patient.
When the gas in the bottle E has been all used the gas holder and tank are
taken off, as if in one piece, by moving the turn buttons from the plates and
lifting it by the handles; the empty bottle is then removed by unscrewing the
union joint P, and a full one is put in its place. The gasometer may consist
of a bag of flexible material, instead of the gas holder and tank, as herein-
before described, so placed in a box or drawer connected with the vessel of
condensed gas that a stop or pointer outside the box or drawer shall indicate,
on a suitable scale, the amount of gas or air in the gasometer at any time, so
that the patient may measure and mix his proportion of gas and air in a
manner analogous to that herein-before described for charging the gas holder.
with gas.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention. But
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus to be used
for the supply of condensed gases for curative purposes, as herein-before
described.
Second, the supplying of gas to be used for curative purposes in a portable
form by compression in a strong vessel.
Third, the attaching the vessel containing the condensed gas to any apparatus
in which it can be measured and diluted, and from which it can be inhaled for
medical purposes.
Fourth, the system or mode of including the vessel containing the condensed
gas in the core or cylinder of the tank of the gasometer.
Fifth, the application and use for medical inhalation of a bag of flexible
material, instead of the gasometer herein-before described, in connextion with a
strong vessel to hold the condensed gas.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Harman Barth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
דוחות זעענטConc TI
GEORGE
IT TATU NUTTATUT NOT
(LL.B.)