The Manufacture and Production of an Improved Counter-irritant to be used in Place of Mustard Plasters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture and Production of an Improved Counter-irritant to
be used in Place of Mustard Plasters.
I, WILLIAM HENRY CHESEBROUGH, Merchant, of 42 Holborn Viaduct in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Robert Agustus Chesebrough of 24 State
Street, New York, United States of America, Manufacturer,) and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
As is well known the object of using mustard plasters is to cause counter-irri-
tation at the surface of the body and thereby draw inflammation to the surface,
or by the counter-irritation set up, relieve internal inflammation. When ordinary
mustard plasters are used for this purpose the skin is blistered and injured. It is
the object of this Invention to provide a substitute for such mustard plasters
which will overcome this objection and provide a means whereby the counter-
irritation can be applied in a very ready and economical manner.
According to this Invention the essential principle of capsicum is utilized by
absorbing it in, or incorporating it with, petroleum jelly.
The following is the manner in which this Invention may be carried out in
practice but I do not limit myself to the precise details.
Dry capsicum is taken and ground and then placed in a filter or percolater
having a perforated bottom or diaphragm and a steam jacket. Petroleum jelly
is then heated to such a temperature (usually from 120° to 140° Fahrenheit) as
will render it perfectly fluid and whilst steam is passed through the jacket the
said fluid jelly is passed or percolated through the ground capsicum. A product
of the requisite qualities can be obtained if 500 lbs. of fluid petroleum jelly be
passed through 35 lbs. of ground capsicum and about 24 hours be occupied in the
passage of this amount of fluid petroleum jelly through the ground capsicum. In
its passage therethough under the said conditions the said fluid petroleum jelly
will-extract, absorb, or take up, from the capsicum the essential principle thereof,
or those qualities thereof which are necessary for the desired effect in the counter-
irritant. The petroleum jelly thus impregnated with the essential principle or
irritant qualities of the capsicum can readily be filled into receptacles, or containers,
such as collapsible tubes like those used for paints, in which it will become
congealed. It can be applied by anointing the part of the body at which the effect
of the counter-irritant is desired and then covering it with a fabric such as cotton,
or linen, cloth, or it can be first applied to the fabric and the fabric so coated be
applied to the body.
The effect of the counter-irritant thus prepared is very efficacious, but is not
attended by the objectionable blistering and injury of the skin incidental to the
use of mustard plasters as the petroleum jelly acts to prevent this.
Great economy results from the use of the preparation according to this Inven-
tion as only just so much of the counter-irritant can be exuded from the collapsible

page_text: tube as is necessary for the desired effect and there is therefore no waste whilst the
preparation is always ready to hand for immediate and easy application.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The manufacture or production as hereinbefore described of a counter-
irritant by the combination of the active principle or irritant properties of
capsicum with petroleum jelly.
2. The manufacture or production of a counter-irritant by passing heated and
fluid petroleum jelly through ground, or divided, capsicum under the conditions
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. As a new article of manufacture a counter irritant such as can be made from
capsicum or red pepper and petroleum jelly in the manner described.
Dated 10.1 en
11007
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.