CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF THE RECTIFICATION OF SPIRITS (partly communicated to me by a certain foreigner residind abroad, and discoveries myself
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MCCURDY, of Cecil Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the eighth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John McCurdy, His especial licence that I, the said John McCurdy, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John McCurdy,
my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expresed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF THE RECTIFICATION OF SPIRITS (partly communicated
to me by a certain foreigner residind abroad, and discoveries myself);" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said John
McCurdy, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly

page_text: to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John McCurdy, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention is ascer-
tained by the following description thereof (that is to say):-
:-
I take common charcoal and re-char it in an oven or furnace built for the
purpose; this coal is afterwards reduced to a fine powder and mixed with
the spirits intended to be purified or rectified as soon after re-charring as
possible. After allowing the mixture to stand about twenty-four hours, stirring
it occasionally, I put the whole of the materials and mixture into a still
together and work off the liquor or spirit with a moderate fire. The quantity
of coal used when pulverized ought to be about one gallon to every four
gallons of spirits. The empyreuma or essential oil will be destroyed by this
process, which may be repeated when the greatest degree of purity is
required; charring the coal a second time encreases its virtue and purifying
power. To the spirits and coal I generally add an equal quantity of water,
as the essential oil by this means becomes distributed through a greater
quantity of liquid, which enables the coal to act with greater effect in ex-
tracting or destroying the essential oil. By this process no waste or very
little takes place by absorption or evaporation (as in filtering); the spirit
is obtained pure and flavorless, and is then suitable for mixing compounds,
cordials, &c.
I claim as original, as connected with this object, and for the purpose of
obtaining the desired end, the mixing coal, spirits, &c. altogether in the still,
running off the spirit therefrom, and by this means, and the use of the materials
in this manner, procuring a purer spirit than can be obtained by any other
method. I would here observe that charcoal will to a certain extent produce
a similar result, but is not so effective as when re-charred.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McCurdy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.
JNO. MCCURDY. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of May, in the year
of our Lord 1827, the aforesaid John McCurdy came before our said Lord the
King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all
and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-seven.