IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRE- SERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTER
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Young, of Bucklersbury, in the City of
London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRE-
SERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTER."
Sealed the 2nd February 1864, and dated the 6th August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
August 1868.
I, JAMES YOUNG, of Bucklersbury, in the City of London, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the preservation of animal matter by the employ-
ment of certain sulphides or sulphurets, such as the sulphide or sulphuret of
calcium, in order to deprive of oxygen the air in the cases or vessels in which
such animal matter is placed. In carrying out this Invention the animal
matter is placed in its case or vessel along with a sufficient quantity of the
sulphuret, or the sulphuret may be placed in a separate vessel which is in
communication with that containing the animal matter.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
YOUNG, of Bucklersbury, in the City of London, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Young, Her special license that I, the said James Young,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Young, ny 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRE-
SERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Young, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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 Young, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists in the preservation of animal matter by the
employment of certain sulphides or sulphurets, such as the sulphide or sul-
phuret of calcium, in order to deprive of oxygen the air in the cases or vessels
in which such animal matter is placed. In carrying out this Invention the
animal matter is placed in its closed case or vessel along with a sufficient
quantity of the sulphide or sulphuret, or the sulphide or sulphuret may be
placed in a separate vessel which is in communication with that containing
the animal matter.
In practise I find that one pound of sulphuret of calcium placed in a vessel
of a capacity equal to one cubic foot, which is filled up with meat or animal
food and closed air-tight, is sufficient to preserve the meat. I take a vessel
capable of being made air-tight, say, of tinned iron, into which I introduce a
coarse cloth bag containing dry sulphuret of calcium, which I find is improved
by being mixed with one-fourth of its weight of slacked lime, and in order to
keep the meat from direct contact with the bag, I cover the bag loosely with
glazed cloth, tin plate, or other suitable material, allowing free communication
between the mixture of sulphuret and lime and the air contained in the vessel;

page_text: I then fill up the vessel with meat, and solder down the lid air-tight. The
proportions I prefer to employ are one pound and a quarter of the mixture of
sulphuret and lime, or one pound of the sulphuret without lime for each cubic
foot capacity of the vessel, and if the vessel be large it is better to divide the
mixture, and to place it in different parts thereof in lieu of in one place; or,
if preferred, two vessels may be used, the one containing the meat, the other
the sulphuret with a communication between the two, the whole being made
air-tight; but I prefer to use the one vessel to contain the sulphuret or mixture
of sulphuret and lime and meat, taking care that the sulphuret or mixture of
sulphuret and lime be not allowed to come in actual contact with the meat.
I prefer to use sulphuret of calcium, as it is cheap, but other sulphurets
having the same property may be substituted, such, for example, as the
sulphuret of potassium or the proto-sulphuret of iron.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that 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, the preservation of animal matters by
the employment of the sulphuret of calcium, or other sulphurets capable of
absorbing oxygen, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Young, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
JAMES YOUNG. (L.S.)