IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR PRESERVING THE BODIES OF HUMAN BEINGS AND THE CARCASES OF ANIMALS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Wickersheimer, of the City of Berlin, in the Kingdom
of Prussia and Empire of Germany, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMPOUNDS FOR PRESERVING THE BODIES OF HUMAN BEINGS AND THE
CARCASES OF ANIMALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Wickersheimer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1880.
JEAN WICKERSHEIMER, of the City of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia and
Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR PRESERVING THE
BODIES OF HUMAN BEINGS AND THE CARCASES OF ANIMALS."
The Invention relates to that class of compounds used to preserve flesh which
may be intended for nutriment or for other purposes, and its object is in the first
case to keep such flesh in a fresh state for a certain time, so that after the
expiration of 1 to about 8 weeks and more it may be used as healthy human
food in any of the usual forms, and in the second case to protect the flesh of
animals and of human bodies for a time against putrefaction in the interest of law
and of science.
For flesh intended to serve as food I prepare my compound as follows:-I
dissolve over a fire or by other heating means in about 3000 parts of water,
36 parts of potash, 15 parts of common salt, and 60 parts of alum, cool down and
filter. The result is a mixture a. Then I prepare a mixture b by dissolving
9 parts of salicylic acid in 45 parts of methyl-alcohol, adding thereto 250 parts of
glycerine.
By combining the mixture a heated to 80° Celsius with the mixture b I obtain
my preserving compound No. 1.
Here it must be remarked that to obtain a satisfactory result the ingredients
should be chemically pure and of the best quality, but that chemically equivalent
acting substances may be substituted for one or the other of the ingredients, and
that the figures given above are taken in the average, so as to allow of variation
in the proportions.
This compound, No. 1, will do very well to keep any kind of flesh, as beef,
mutton, pork, poultry, in a perfectly good state for 2 to 3 weeks; but if it is.

page_text: desired to preserve for a longer period, then the quantity of methyl-alcohol in the
compound should be augmented, without however exceeding 20 parts per 1000.
Also instead of 9 parts of salicylic acid the quantity should be increased to
12 parts, and instead of 250 parts of glycerine the quantity should be increased
to 450 parts. I recommend for the preservation of pork the addition to the
compound, No. 1, of two to 3 parts of saltpetre, because the colour of the meat
will be improved thereby.
The manner of using my compound, No. 1, for the preservation of meat
consists in introducing it into and throughout the body of the animal prior to or
shortly after killing it, but always before it is opened for evisceration. The
introduction of the compound is effected when undertaken before the killing, and
on small animals, fish, and birds, directly into the heart. A sharp pointed syringe
(a Pravatz syringe or any other suitable one) is thrust into the heart of the
animal, of birds between the bifurcated bone, of fish between the breastfins in
oblique direction, and the compound forced into it.
The quantity of the injected fluid varies in proportion to the bulk of the animal,
but is about 100 parts to every 1000 of the weight of the body. On larger
animals, such as cattle, pigs, and others, the injection of the compound is effected
into the large artery of the neck just after killing the animal. The syringe
possesses for that purpose a blunt smooth mouthpiece, which is introduced into the
incised large artery of one side of the neck in a direction from head to foot, and
tied up to it by means of a string or in any other suitable way. When the artery
of the other side of the neck is cut through it must be tied up.
The quantity of the compound used for the injection of these larger animals is in
proportion smaller than that for the smaller ones. It diminishes for the former
down to 40 parts to every 1000 parts of the weight of the body.
When the flesh is to be preserved not for food but for other purposes, as dead
human bodies, which are required to remain in a good unputrified condition for a
shorter or longer period, where a poisonous compound is forbidden or not desirable,
be it for embalming, or for the examination of the coroner, or for the dissecting
room, and other animal bodies for similar or other purposes, I use a compound,
No. 2, composed in a little different manner, and injected, always after death when
larger bodies are to be treated, into the artery of the neck, but directly into the
heart of smaller ones, as birds, fish, and so on.
I dissolve over a fire or by other heating means in 6000 parts of water, 80 parts
of potash, 60 parts of common salt, 30 parts of saltpetre, and 160 parts of alum,
and filter the fluid after cooling; this I call fluid c.
I dissolve further in 600 parts of inethyl-alcohol 18 parts of salicylic acid; this
I call fluid d.
After heating the fluid c to about 50° Celsius I mix it with fluid d, and add to
this mixture 60 parts of carbolic or phenic acid or creosote and 1800 parts of
glycerine, and obtain the compound No. 2, which I make use of in the above
described manner.
'I am aware that there are in use for similar purposes other compounds, but
they differ from mine both in their composition and in the effect produced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jean Wickersheimer at the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
November 1880.
JEAN WICKERSHEIMER, of the City of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia and
Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR PRESERVING THE
BODIES OF HUMAN BEINGS AND THE CARCASES OF ANIMALS."
The Invention relates to that class of compounds used to preserve flesh which
may be intended for nutriment or for other purposes, and its object is in the
first case to keep such flesh in a fresh state for a certain time, so that after the
expiration of 1 to about 8 weeks and more it may be used as healthy human food
in any of the usual forms, and in the second case to protect the flesh of animals
and of human bodies for a time against putrefaction in the interest of law and of
science.
For flesh intended to serve as food I prepare my compound as follows:-I
dissolve over a fire or by other heating means in about 3000 parts of water,
36 parts of potash, 15 parts of common salt, and 60 parts of alum, cool down and
filter. The result is a mixture a. Then I prepare a mixture b by dissolving
9 parts of salicylic acid in 45 parts of methyl-alcohol adding thereto 250 parts of
glycerine. By combining the mixture a heated to 50° Celsius with the mixture b
I obtain my preserving compound, No. 1.
Here it must be remarked that to obtain a satisfactory result the ingredients
should be chemically pure and of the best quality, but that chemically equivalent
acting substances may be substituted for one or the other of the ingredients, and
that the figures given above are taken in the average, so as to allow of variation
in the proportions. This compound, No. 1, will do very well to keep any kind of
flesh, as beef, mutton, pork, poultry, in a perfectly good state for 2 to 3 weeks, but
if it is desired to preserve for a longer period, then the quantity of methyl-
alcohol in the compound should be augmented, without however exceeding 20 parts
per 1000. Also instead of 9 parts of salicylic acid the quantity should be increased
to 12 parts, and instead of 250 parts of glycerine the quantity should be increased
to 450 parts. I recommend for the preservation of pork the addition to the
compound, No. 1, of 2 to 3 parts of saltpetre, because the colour of the meat will be
improved thereby.
The manner of using my compound, No. 1, for the preservation of meat consists
in introducing it into and throughout the body of the animal prior to or shortly
after killing it, but always before it is opened for evisceration. The introduction
of the compound is effected when undertaken before the killing, and on small
animals, fish, and birds, directly into the heart. A sharp pointed syringe (a
Pravatz syringe or any other suitable one) is thrust into the heart of the animal,
of birds between the bifurcated bone, of fish between the breast fins in oblique
direction, and the compound forced into it. The quantity of the injected fluid
varies in proportion to the bulk of the animal, but is about 100 parts to every 1000
of the weight of the body. On larger animals, such as cattle, pigs, and others, the
injection of the compound is effected into the large artery of the neck just after
killing the animal. The syringe possesses for that purpose a blunt smooth
mouthpiece, which is introduced into the incised large artery of one side of the
neck in a direction from head to foot, and tied up to it by means of a string or in
any other suitable way. When the artery of the other side of the neck is cut
through it must be tied up. The quantity of the compound used for the injection
of these larger animals is in proportion smaller than that for the smaller ones.
diminishes for the former down to 40 parts to every 1000 parts of the weight of
the body.
It

page_text: When the flesh is to be preserved not for food but for other purposes, as dead
human bodies, which are required to remain in a good unputrified condition for a
shorter or longer period, where a poisonous compound is forbidden or not desirable,
be it for embalming, or for the examination of the coroner, or for the dissecting
room, and other animal bodies for similar or other purposes, I use a compound,
No. 2, composed in a little different manner, and injected, always after death when
larger bodies are to be treated, into the artery of the neck, but directly into the
heart of smaller ones, as birds, fish, and so on.
I dissolve over a fire or by other heating means in 6000 parts of water, 80 parts
of potash, 60 parts of common salt, 30 parts of saltpetre, and 160 parts of alum,
and filter the fluid after cooling; this I call fluid c. I dissolve further in 600
parts of methyl-alcohol 18 parts of salicylic acid; this I call fluid d.
After heating the fluid c to about 50° Celsius I mix it with fluid d, and add to
this mixture 60 parts of carbolic or phenic acid or creosote and 1800 parts of
glycerine, and obtain the compound No. 2, which I make use of in the above
described manner.
I am aware that there are in use for similar purposes other compounds, but they
differ from mine both in their composition and in the effect produced.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in which
the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. A compound, No. 1, to preserve flesh intended for food, consisting of salicylic
acid, methyl-alcohol, and glycerine, and a solution of mineral antiseptics in which
alum is the chief ingredient, substantially as described and in the proportions
specified.
Second. A compound, No. 2, to preserve flesh and animal bodies not intended
for food, consisting of methyl-alcohol and salicylic acid, and a solution of potash,
common salt, saltpetre, and alum, to which mixture are added glycerine and
carbolic acid, substantially as described and in the proportions specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Wickersheimer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
THAT
WARDSHELYED