IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF MEAT FOR FOOD."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Hill Hassall, of Wimpole Street, in the
County of Middlesex, M.D., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PREPARATION OF MEAT FOR FOOD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Hill Hassall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th February 1866.
I, ARTHUR HILL HASSALL, of Wimpole Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, M.D., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF MEAT FOR FOOD," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the preparation of meat
for food. For this purpose I select the leanest joints or parts of beef or of
any other kind of meat; these are first deprived of all bone, tendon and visible
fat, and the red part or flesh is then cut into pieces of about an inch
or so in diameter; these are then passed through a sausage machine, by the
knives of which they are cut into small
cut into small pieces and minced. The
minced meat is then spread in very thin layers upon perforated trays, 'by pre-
ference of galvanized iron; this spreading is effected either by hand labor,
or it may be by a spreading apparatus attached to the mouth of the sausage
machine. The trays when spread are transferred either to a drying closet
[Price 8d.]

page_text: For some
heated by means of steam or to al hot air room or chamber
(heated by flues passing through it), in either of which the meat becomes de-
prived of the greater portion of its water and assumes a crisp and friable con-
dition. Special care is taken that the meat is dried at a temperature below
coagulating point of albumen. The meat thus dried is then ground in a mill,
after which it is passed either through sieves or a flour dressing machine, a
very fine "flour of meat" being thus obtained. This powder is
now subjected to a further drying process whereby the whole or
nearly the whole of the water of the meat is dissipated. I, by
preference, dry the greater portion, say, about two-thirds of the
powder at a temperature below the coagulating point of albumen, and dry
the remainder at a higher temperature, say at about 160° Fahrenheit; the
two portions are subsequently mixed together. By thus drying a
portion of the powder at a higher temperature a superior flavor is imparted
to the powder than if the whole of the powder were dried at a low temperature.
at
purposes, however, the whole of the powder may
the second drying be dried at the low or high temperature. Part of the ground
meat will not after the first grinding pass through the sieves or
dressing machines; this has to be ground a second and even a third time,
whereby other quantities of the flour are obtained, but there is still a residue
which remains in the sieve; this is of a fibrous character and
consists for the most part of gelatine, and is derived from the membranous
or gelatinous portions of the meat; this is ground in a mill suitably adapted
for reducing fibre, or is subjected to a temperature much above
the coagulating point of albumen, whereby it is rendered more friable, so
that it admits of being ground and sieved, the powder being added to, the
flour of meat previously obtained. Finally, the bones are crushed, and these
as well as the tendons are boiled and digested so as to remove the gelatine
contained in them, and which is subsequently recovered in the manner usually
practised by gelatine manufacturers, and which when reduced by grinding and
sieving to fine powder is added to
al
Vege-
tables, such as turnips, carrots, celery, onions, and herbs, are dried also at
low temperatures, and for the most part below. the coagulating
point of albumen, and they are then like the meat powder itself ground and
passed through fine sieves, a "flour of vegetables" being thus obtained. If
the flour of meat is intended to be used for the preparation of beef tea I add
to it a little salt; if intended for soups 1 add all the requisite
vegetables and flavorings prepared as above and reduced to a fine powder
similar to that of the meat itself, so that the cook has nothing more to do
the flour of meat.

page_text: but to add the requisite quantity of water, and simmer for a few minutes,
when the soup is ready for use. The flour of meat is also suitable for being
used in the preparation of a meat cocoa, also in the manufacture of meat
biscuits, and also when mixed with a farinaceous matter for a food for
invalids.
I
By the above-described method of preparing meat I obtain a material
capable of prolonged preservation; I utilize the beef or other meat which
is usually thrown away in the preparation by the ordinary method of beef
tea, broths, and soups; I also reduce the meat to such a condition that the beef
teas and soups made with it are infinitely more nourishing than those made
in the usual manner; and, lastly, 1 reduce the meat to such a state as that no
mastication is required, and it can be readily consumed by persons with defec-
tive teeth and by invalids generally.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Hill Hassall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, ARTHUR
HILL HASSALL, of Wimpole Street, in the County of Middlesex. M.D., send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto ine, the said Arthur Hill Hassall, Her special licence that 1, the
said Arthur Hill Hassall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Arthur Hill Hassall, my executors, administrators,
and 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 PREPARATION OF MEAT FOR FOOD,"
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Hill Hassall, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: Latent OIC WIGHTH
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Hill Hassall, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the preparation of
meat for food. For this purpose select the leanest joints or parts of
beef or of any other kind of meat; these are first deprived of all bone,
tendon, and visible fat, and the red part or flesh is then cut into pieces of
about an inch or so in diameter. These are then passed through a sausage
or mincing machine by the knives of which they are cut into small pieces
and minced. The minced meat is then spread in very thin layers upon
perforated trays, by preference of galvanized iron; this spreading is effected
either by hand labor or it may be by a spreading apparatus attached to
the mouth of the sausage machine. The trays when spread are transferred
either to a drying closet heated by means of steam or to a hot air room or
chamber (heated by flues passing through it), in either of which the meat
becomes deprived of the greater portion of its water and assumes a crisp and
friable condition. Special care is taken that the meat is dried at a tempera-
ture below the coagulating point of albumen. The meat thus dried is then
ground in a mill or under mill stones of suitable construction, after which
it is passed either through sieves or a flour dressing machine, a very fine
"flour of meat" being thus obtained. This powder is now subjected to a
further drying process, whereby the whole or nearly the whole of the water
of the meat is dissipated. I, by preference, dry the greater portion, say
about rds of the powder, at a temperature below the coagulating point of.
albumen, and dry the remainder at a high temperature, say at about
160° Fahrenheit; the two portions are subsequently mixed together.
thus drying a portion of the powder at a higher temperature a superior
flavour is imparted to the powder than if the whole of the powder were
dried at a low temperature. For some purposes, however, the whole of the
powder may at the second drying be dried at the low or high temperature;
when intended to be used for biscuits at the low temperature, and when
for lozenges at the high. Part of the ground meat will not after the first
This has to be
grinding passed through the sieves or dressing machines.
ground a second and even a third time whereby other quantities of the
flour are obtained, but there is still a residue which remains in the sieve.
This is of a fibrous character, and consists for the most part of gelatine and
By

page_text: is derived from the membranous or gelatinous portions of the meat. This
is ground in a mill suitably adapted for reducing fibre, or is subjected to a
temperature much above the coagulating point of albumen, whereby it is
rendered more friable, so that it admits of being ground and sieved. the
powder being added to the flour of meat previously obtained. Finally, the
bones are crushed, and these as well as the tendons are boiled and
digested, so as to remove the gelatine contained in them, and which is
subsequently recovered in the manner usually practised by gelatine manu-
facturers, and which when reduced by grinding and seiving to a fine powder
is added to the flour of meat. Vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, celery,
onions, and herbs, are dried also at low temperatures, and for the most
part below the coagulating point of albumen, and they are then like the
meat powder itself ground and passed through fine sieves, a "flour of vege-
tables" being thus obtained. If the flour of meat is intended to be used
for the preparation of beef tea I add to it a little salt; if intended for soups
I add all the requisite vegetables and flavourings prepared as above and
reduced to a fine powder similar to that of the meat itself, so that the cook
has nothing more to do but to add the requisite quantity of water and
simmer for a few minutes, when the soup is ready for use. The flour of
meat is also suitable for being used in the preparation of a meat cocoa,
also in the manufacture of meat biscuits, and also when mixed with a
farinaceous matter for a food for invalids.
By the above described method of preparing meat I obtain a material
capable of prolonged preservation; I utilize the beef or other meat which
is usually thrown away in the preparation by the ordinary method of beef
tea, broths, and soups; I also reduce the meat to such a condition that
the beef teas and soups made with it are infinitely more nourishing than
those made in the usual manner; and, lastly, I reduce the meat to such a
state as that no mastication is required, and it can be readily consumed by
persons with defective teeth and by invalids generally.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Hill Hassall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
ARTHUR HILL HASSALL. (L.S.)