A NOVEL ANTISEPTIC AND IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING ALIMENTARY SUBSTANCES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Maria Pielsticker, of No. 5 Sidney Terrace, Kilburn,
London, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "A NOVEL ANTISEPTIC
AND IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING ALIMENTARY SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Maria Pielsticker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1882.
CARL MARIA PIELSTICKER, of No 5 Sidney Terrace, Kilburn, London, in the
County of Middlesex "A NOVEL, ANTISEPTIC AND IMPROVED
PRESERVING ALIMENTARY SUBSTANCES "
PROCESS FOR
My invention relates to the preservation of alimentary substances by means of
a novel antiseptic, also to the use of this antiseptic, or other Antiseptics, in combi-
nation with a process of expulsion of air from the article under treatment and the
vessel containing it and of replacing this air by a neutral Gas.
Many processes have been tried to preserve alimentary substances unaltered in
a raw and uncooked state, as for instance raw meat and fish, by means of various
antiseptics but only with partial success.
Almost invariably it has been found that when exposing substances thus treated
to the action of atmospheric air, decay and decomposition soon set in, particularly
so when the antiseptics have been used as a watery solution. In other instances
the natural colour or the taste was changed, to such an extent as to make the
article unfit, or nearly so, as an article of food-No much better result has been
obtained, by enclosing substances treated with antiseptics in air tight vessels,
because such articles of food contained not only atmospheric air in their bones
pores and tissues, but it was also impossible, except by the application of heat, to
remove the air from the vessels in which the articles previously treated with
antiseptics were to be kept.
I am also well aware that attempts have been made to preserve alimentary
substances in vapours and gases of various kinds but without any decided or
commercial success.
By combining both processes nainely treating alimentary substances first with
antiseptics, secondly removing the air from and replacing it by Carbonic Oxide or

page_text: Carbonic Acid Gas or a mixture of them, or a gas of which either of them forms one
of the principal constituents, in air tight vessels in which the substances so treated
have been previously placed, I obtain more or less perfect results according to the
nature of the antiseptic employed.
Ment, fish and certain vegetables, for instance, green peas and asparagus, can be
kept for lengthened periods in the raw or uncooked state, fresh and unchanged in
colour, taste, and odour; and of course likewise in a cooked state.
I obtain the best results by using my improved process in combination with my
novel antiseptic which I compose by melting together say 20 parts of Boracic
Acid, 8 parts of Phosphate of Soda, and 2 parts of Formiate of Soda; or I may
compose my Antiseptic using as equivalents Borax, Phosphoric Acid and Formiate
of Soda.
My novel Antiseptic may be either used in a pulverulent solid form, or in
solution.
In carrying out my invention I proceed as follows :—
The articles to be preserved are either covered with the solid antiseptic for from
30 minutes to several hours (according to the size or thickness of the article to be
preserved) or the antiseptic may be rubbed into the articles, or the latter may be
immersed or impregnated in a closed vessel containing the antiseptic in solution,
by applying pressure by means of a force pump, or otherwise. prefer to use a
concentrated solution-say one ounce of the antiseptic in 20 ounces of water, or
stronger, which permits me to leave the articles to be preserved for a sliort time
in such solution, say from 15 minutes to 2 hours, and still to obtain perfect results,
without the articles having the chance of taking up an undue and objectionable
quantity of moisture and at the same time losing a portion of their nutritious and
savory juices.
After the articles to be preserved have taken up a sufficient quantity of the
antiseptic, they are placed in air tight vessels or chambers, having an inlet-stop-
cock near the top or upper end and an outlet stop cock near the bottom or lower
end, but preferably on the same side as the inlet cock-The inlet cock as well as
the outlet cock are both opened and the inlet cock connected with a Gas holder
containing Carbonic Acid or Carbonic Oxide Gas or a mixture of them, or a
mixture of neutral Gases in which Carbonic Acid or Carbonic Oxide Gases form one
of the principal constituents.
I prefer in this Gas holder a pressure of say 100 lbs to the square inch.
I now admit the gas into the chamber and allow it to blow for some time with
great force through the chamber, finding its outlet at the second cock, which inay
be connected with a second or a series of preserving chambers in order to use over
again and economise the Gas. The effect is to remove the atmospheric air to the
greatest extent from the chamber or vessel, as well as any of the gerins which
otherwise would induce putrefaction.
In order to completely remove all the air from the chamber or the pores and
tissues of the articles to be preserved, the outlet cock is closed and the gas allowed
to assume a certain pressure inside the vessel, (which may be regulated according
to a pressure gaugo on the chamber or vessel) so as to completely enter into the
bones, pores, and tissues of the articles and to mix with and to replace the air
contained in them. The outlet cock is then opened, the gas and air blown out for
some time and the operation repeated if desired. Finally the outlet cock is closed
and scaled and when the gas has assumed again a pressure of say 5 to 10 lbs, or
more, per square inch inside the chamber or vessel the inlet cock is then also
closed and sealed and the contents of the vessel are now preserved for a lengthened
period.
Instead of following this process, the articles to be preserved may be placed in
an air tight vessel, the latter be filled entirely with the antiseptic in solution, and
gas admitted by the inlet cock. When a certain pressure has been obtained inside
the vessel, and the solution therefore has entered into all the pores and tissues of the
articles and also replaced the air contained in them in consequence of the pressure

page_text: obtained by means of the gas, the solution is forced out by opening the outlet cock
and the gas allowed to blow through the chamber for some time until all the
surplus moisture is removed; the latter cock is then closed and when again a
pressure of say 5 to 10 lbs or more has been obtained inside the preserving vessel
the inlet cock is then likewise closed.
For very large chambers especially, and in which for instance whole carcases of
meat are to be transported raw and fresh across the ocean, I prefer to proceed as
follows:
gas
The meat is immersed for say 10 minutes in a concentrated solution of my novel
antiseptic, or impregnated by pressure or rubbed or sprinkled with the solid
antiseptic, the carcases are then placed in the preserving chamber; by preference
they are hung up in rows from the ceiling of the chamber care being taken that
they do not touch each other. Between cach row of carcases I place an inlet
cock which on opening the same is made to blow or carry with it a small quantity
of the antiseptic solution in the form of a very fine spray or mist into and through
the chamber, in this way disinfecting the chamber and the articles in it thoroughly
and finding its way out by an outlet cock. I may use for this purpose apparatus
similar to that used for filling Soda water bottles, where water is impinged upon
by Carbonic Acid Gas under pressure inside a closed tube and blown or forced into
the bottle; or I may use any apparatus which I may find suitable for the injection
of this spray together with the gas. After a short time the supply of the anti-
septic solution is shut off, and dry gas allowed to blow through the chamber for
some time, until all surplus moisture has been removed.
Finally the outlet cock is shut, a moderate pressure of Gas is allowed to
accumulate and is maintained inside the chamber and the inlet cock then also
closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Carl Maria Pielsticker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st April 1883.
- CARL MARIA PIELSTICKER of 5 Sidney Terrace Kilburn, London, in the County
of Middlesex "A NOVEL ANTISEPTIC AND IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING
ALIMENTARY SUBSTANCES
33
My said invention relates to the preservation of alimentary substances by means
of a novel antiseptic; also to the use of this antiseptic in combination with a
process of expulsion of air from the article under treatment and the vessel
containing it and of replacing this air by a neutral gas.
Many processes have been tried to preserve alimentary substances unaltered in a
raw and uncooked state as for instance raw meat and fish, by means of various
antiseptics, but only with partial success.
Almost invariably it has been found that when exposing substances thus
treated to the action of atmospheric air; decay and decomposition soon set in
particularly so when the antiseptics have been used as a watery solution. In
otlier instances the natural color or the taste was changed to such an extent as to
make the article unfit, or nearly so, as an article of food. No much better result.
has been obtained by enclosing substances treated with antiseptics in air tight
vessels because such articles of food contained not only atmospheric air in their
bones pores and tissues, but it was also impossible, except by the application of
heat to remove the air from the vessels in which the articles previously treated
with antiseptics were to be kept. Various gases have also been tried for the.
preservation of articles of food, but I have found that the gases so used in
preserving meat either changed the color or on account of their acid nature,
imparted an acid flavour to it as for instance and particularly in the case or carbonic
acid gas; also that on account of their inflammable or explosive nature, the use of
such gases could in no manner be permitted on board a slip, as for instance in the
case of carbonic oxide gas.
1 treat alimentary substances, first, with my antiseptic, secondly, I remove the
air from and replace it by a mixture of carbonic oxide and carbonic acid gas in
certain definite proportions in air tight vessels in which the substances so treated
have been previously placed.
The proportions in which the one gas to the other must be used are not less
than 55 per cent more than 75 per cent of Carbonic Acid Gas to not more
than 45 per cent nor less than 25 per cent of Carbonic Oxide Gas. The presence
of any nitrogen Gas in the above mixture is immaterial either in favor or against
the action of the gases. Carbonic acid and Carbonic oxide gas used as a mixture
in the above proportions have no action whatever upon the appearance nor the
taste of the meat, the same remaining unchanged and fresh for months after
treatment, while it is a well known fact on which the principle of the chemical
fire extinguishers rest, that no flame or fire can exist in the presence of carbonic
ncid gas, even should the latter be mixed with more than three times its own
volume of atmospheric air.
Meat, fish, and certain vegetables, for instance green peas and asparagus so
treated can be kept for lengthened periods in the raw and uncooked state, fresh
and unchanged in color, taste and odour, and of course likewise in a cooked state.
I compose my novel antiseptic by melting together say-20 parts of Boracic
acid-8 parts of Phosphate of Soda and 2 parts of Formiate of Soda; or I may
compose my antiseptic using as equivalents, Borax, Phosphoric Acid and Formiate
of Soda.
My novel antiseptic may be either used in a pulverulent solid form or in
solution.

page_text: In carrying out my invention I proceed as follows:-The articles to be preserved
are either painted over with a semi-liquid solution of my antiseptic or covered
with the solid antiseptic, for from thirty minutes to several hours (according to
the size and thickness of the article to be preserved) or the antiseptic may be
rubbed into the articles, or the latter may be immersed or impregnated in a closed
vessel containing the antiseptic in solution, by applying pressure by means of a
force pump or otherwise.-I prefer to use a concentrated solution say of 1 oz of
the antiseptic and 20 oz: of water or stronger which permits me to leave the articles
to be preserved for a short time only in such solution, say from five minutes to one
hour, and still to obtain perfect results without the articles having the chance of
taking up an undue and objectionable quantity of moisture and at the same time
losing a portion of their nutritious and savory juices.
After the articles to be preserved have taken up a sufficient quantity of the
antiseptic, they are placed in air tight vessels or chambers having an inlet stop
cock near the top or upper end, and an outlet stop cock near the bottom or lower
end but preferably on the same side as the inlet cock. The inlet cock as well as
the outlet cock are both opened and the inlet connected with a gas holder or
producer containing the mixture of carbonic oxide and carbonic acid gas aforesaid.
I permit the gas to pass for some hours through the preserving chamber which
may be connected with a second or a series of preserving chambers in order to use
over again and economise the gas. The effect is to remove the atmospheric air
from the chamber or vessel as well as out of the pores and tissues of meat and
also to kill any of the germs which otherwise would induce putrifaction.
After the preserving chambers have been sufficiently filled with the mixture of
gases, I close both the inlet and outlet cock and the contents of the preserving
chambers are now preserved for a lengthened period.
If preferred the gases may be passed through the preserving chamber during the
whole time a steamer is for instance crossing the ocean or if preferred after they
have been passed through for some time and all the air removed they may be
exhausted again, the outlet and inlet cocks then closed, and in this manner a
partial vacuum created inside the preserving chamber.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is or may be performed or carried into practical effect
What I claim to secure to me by the herein before in part recited Letters
Patent is :-
Firstly-The composition and use of an antiseptic salt for preserving alimentary
substances containing Boracic Acid Phosphate of Soda and Formiate of Soda in
such proportions as to render the boracic acid completely soluble and to produce a
practically tasteless salt substantially as herein before described.
Secondly-The process of preserving alimentary substances by first treating
them with the anti-eptic composed as described in my first claim and subsequently
placing them in air tight chambers or vessels in which the atmospheric air has
been removed and replaced by a mixture of carbonic acid and carbonic oxide
gases in certain definite proportions or from which the mixture of these gases has
been subsequently removed and replaced by a partial vacuum or by keeping a
constant current of mixture of these gases in certain definite proportions passing
through the preserving chamber substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Carl Maria Pielsticker have hereunto set iny
hand and seal this Twenty sixth day of February one thousand eight
L