IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING COLOURING MATTER FROM LICHENS CONTAINING SUCH COLORING MATTER
Year: 1855

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of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXTRACTING COLOURING MATTER FROM LICHENS CONTAINING SUCH COLORING
MATTER "A communication
Sealed the 21st December 1856, and dated the 9th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Murdoch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
October 1855.
I, JAMES MURDOCH, of 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN EXTRACTING COLOURING MATTER FROM LICHENS CONTAINING SUCH COLORING
MATTER," (communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad,) to be as
follows:-
The object of the present Invention is to economise the alcohol employed in
Robiquet's method of extracting the coloring matter from lichens, by collecting
the alcoholic vapor and using them over again. I proceed as follows:-The
lichen is placed in the distilling vessel A (see annexed Drawing), and the coloring
matter is extracted from it by successive decoctions in alcohol, the alcoholic
vapours which are disengaged passing off by the pipe C into the condenser D,
in which they are condensed, and from which they are drawn off by the cock ]

page_text: to operate upon a further portion of lichen. As to the lichen remaining in
the still when the alcohol is all drawn off, it is re-dissolved in water and drawn
off at the cock E. It is then left to cool, and afterwards thrown upon a filter,
which keeps back the gum resin which has been dissolved by the alcohol, but
which is deposited in cooling. The liquor filtered and evaporated is then
brought in contact with ammonia, and a beautiful color is developed. The
product may be obtained in a crystalline form by evaporating the liquor to the
consistence of a syrup before bringing it into contact with ammonia, and then
leaving it in a cool place; it then deposits crystals of orcine, which by exposure
to ammoniacal vapour assume a violet red.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
A, the still; B, funnel; C, vapor pipe leading to condenser; D, condenser;
E, cock for drawing off the liquid; F, cover by which the lichen is introduced;
I, cock for drawing off the condensed alcohol; K, overflow cock; O, supply
cock for condensing water; M, vessel containing the condenser, and kept con-
stantly supplied with cold water; N, connecting pipe; P, safety pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MURDOCH, of 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Murdoch, Her special licence that I, the said James Murdoch, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Murdoch, my exccutors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING
COLORING MATTER FROM LICHENS CONTAINING SUCH COLORING MATTER," (communi-
cated to me by a foreigner residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said James Murdoch, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Murdoch, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The present Invention is an improvement upon a process invented by
M. Robiquet for extracting the coloring matter from lichens by means of
alcohol. In his process the coloring matter was extracted from the lichens
by boiling alcohol, and the solution was evaporated to the consistence of an
extract, and this extract, being re-dissolved in water, and evaporated to the
consistence of a syrup, and left in a cool place, deposited crystals of what
M. Robiquet called orcine, and which, brought in contact with ammonia,
gives the beautiful colour orchil. This process is easy and certain, but the
alcohol being lost the product necessarily became dear; and the object of
the present Invention is to render the method more economical, by collecting
the alcohol driven off in vapour and employing it over and over again. For
this purpose I proceed as follows:-The lichen is placed in the distilling appa-
ratus a (see annexed Drawing), and the coloring matter is extracted from it
by successive decoctions in alcohol, the alcoholic vapours which are disengaged
passing off by the pipe c into the condenser d, in which they are condensed, and
from which they are drawn off by the cock i, to operate upon a further portion
of lichen.
Before throwing away the exhausted lichen, it is washed in a small quantity
of water, to extract the alcohol remaining in the lichen. The small quantities
thus obtained from successive decoctions are added together, and then evapo-
rated in the distilling apparatus, and the alcohol thus disengaged serves in the
decoction of a fresh portion of lichen.
As to the extract remaining in the still, when the alcohol is entirely drawn
off it is re-dissolved in water, as Robiquet directs, and drawn off at the cock c.
It is then left to cool, and then thrown upon a filter, which retains the resin
dissolved by the alcohol, but which resin is deposited by the liquor in cooling.
The liquor after being filtered and evaporated is then brought into contact
with ammonia, whereby a color of great brilliancy is obtained. The color

page_text: may be obtained in a crystalline form by simply evaporating the liquor to the
consistence of a syrup before bringing it in contact with the ammonia and
setting it in a cool place; it then deposits crystals of orcine, which being
exposed to ammoniacal vapors assume a violet red color.
In carrying out the Invention, any suitable distilling apparatus may be
employed; but the Inventor prefers the arrangement shown in the Drawing,
in which a is the distilling vessel; b, a funnel for introducing the alcohol;
c, pipe by which the alcoholic vapors pass off to d, the condenser; e, cock by
which the decoctions are drawn off; f, aperture at which the lichens are intro-
duced; i, cock at which the condensed alcohol is drawn off'; k, the vessel con-
taining the condenser, and kept full of cold water to keep the condenser cool;
m, cold water pipe; n, overflow pipe; o, safety tube.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of carry-
ing the same into effect, I claim in respect thereof,-
First, the recovery of the alcohol which has been employed to extract the
coloring matter from lichens, by making the decoctions in any suitable dis-
tilling vessel, having a condenser connected therewith in which the alcoholic
vapours are condensed.
Second, the employing the alcohol thus recovered for operating upon a fresh
portion of lichen.
Lastly, the employment of the apparatus described for the purpose of carry-
ing out the Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murdoch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
H. H. MURDOCH.
JAMES MURDOCH. (L.S.)