A METHOD OF & APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEA WATER DRINKABLE
Year: 1885

page_text: I THOMAS KAY of St. Petersgate Stockport in the County of Chester Chemist
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for A METHOD OF & APPARATUS
FOR MAKING SEA WATER DRINKABLE to be as follows:--
I take an organic salt of Silver using by preference the Citrate, Tartrate or
Acetate of Silver or other salt of an organic Acid which has a greater affinity for
Hydrochloric Acid than Sodium, Potassium or Magnesium, and I mix it with Sea
Water. Mutual decomposition ensues.
The silver seizes the Hydrochloric Acid of the, Chlorides of Sodium Potassium
and Magnesium, contained in the Sea water, and this falls as a heavy insoluble
precipitate, whilst the sodium Potassium & Magnesium become converted into
Citrates, Tartrates or Acetates, & remain in solution.
This solution of the Citrates. Tartrates or Acctates of Sodium Potassium or
Magnesium, may be separated, by decantation or filtration, from the insoluble
Chloride of Silver precipitate, & may be drunk in cases of shipwreck, or when
exposed in an open boat at sea, or under circumstances when fresh water is
impossible to be obtained.
With or without free Citric Tartaric or Acetic Acid, the drinkable sea wator may
be used for many purposes medicinal or otherwise.
To preserve the before mentioned salts I use an Earthenware or Glass Bottle,
effectively sealed or stoppered, & if made of Glass I cover it with opaque India
Rubber, Gutta Percha, or paper, to prevent the decomposing action of light upon
the salt.
The glass bottle, covered with India Rubber or Gutta Percha, is little liable to
breakage & may also be used for toilet or medicinal purposes when travelling.
I make a filter also of felt to the shape of the bottle, which will assist also in
preventing breakage, & will be convenient to filter the drinkable sea water from
the Chloride precipitate.
Or I use any convenient length of India Rubber tube, having one end plugged
with any simple straining material, such as sponge, felt, cotton, linen, wool or
asbestos, through which the drinkable sea water may be imbibed.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Making Sea Water Drinkable.
I, THOMAS KAY, of St. Peteragate, Stockport, in the County of Chester, Chemist,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
etatement:
The object of my invention for making sea water drinkable consists in a desire
to obtain means for mitigating the distress of those unfortunate persons who are
destined to suffer the calamity of shipwreck in mid-ocean or otherwise, and have
to endure the terrible pangs of thirst, my attention having been directed to the
subject by the published accounts of the dreadful sufferings of those who were
wrecked in the ill-fated "Mignonette."
According to the analysis of the sea water in the English Channel, made by
Dr Schweitzer of Brighton, it was found to contain per mille:-
Sodium Chloride -
Potassium Do
Magnesium Do
Do Bromide
Do Sulphoto
-
-
-
-
27.059
-
0-766 total Chlorides.
-
3.666
->>
0.029
0.006
1000-000
"Roscoe" states that according to the analysis of Thorpe and Morten, the water
in the Irish Sea contains 30-335 total chlorides, and the water in the Atlantic Ocean
taken from beyond the Eddystone contains 32.730 total chlorides, representing as
nearly as possible 20 grains of chlorine in every fluid ounce.
Judging from the known effect of these solids on the human system, I came to
the conclusion that the chlorides were the deleterious elements contained in the sea
water that must be eliminated or converted, before such water is rendered harmless
to drink and fit to support life.
From the before mentioned analyses it will be seen that the chlorides of sodium
and magnesium greatly preponderate, and there is no doubt that to the former of
these the baneful effects of drinking sea water may be mainly ascribed, for common
salt produces thirst, probably by its styptic action on the salivary glands; and
scurvy by its deleterious action on the blood when taken in excess.
Therefore to effect the purposes of my invention. I take any organic salt of
silver, using by preference the citrate, but the tartrate, malate, or acetate of silver
or other non-poisonous salt, of an organic acid, which has a greater affinity for

page_text: hydrochloric acid than either sodium, potassium or magnesium may be used, and
I mix the said salt in certain proportions with sea water. Mutual decomposition
slowly ensues. The salt of silver seizes the chlorides contained in the water, and
combining therewith falls as a heavy precipitate, whilst the sodium, potassium, and
magnesium, become converted into citrates, tartrates, malates, acetates etc. according
to whatever silver salt be used, and they remain in solution. This solution may be
separated by decantation or filtration; and may be drank in moderate quantities by
shipwrecked persons when exposed in open boats at sea or under circumstances
when fresh water is unobtainable.
With or without free citrate, tartaric, acetic or other non-poisonous acid, the said
solution may be used for many purposes, medicinal and otherwise.
After experimenting with various salts, I fixed upon the citrate of silver as
being the safest and best for my purpose. When mixed with sea water the acids
are simply interchanged, the silver becoming the insoluble chloride which falls,
whilst the soda, potash, and magnesia remain in solution in the water as citrates
of soda, potash, and magnesia respectively. These salts are practically inert.
They form most of the effervescent salines so much used under fancy names as
cooling drinks, febrifuges, etc.
Now as regards quantities, two ounces of citrate of silver will convert a piut of
sea water into a harmless drinkable fluid, of which less than half a pint per day will
I believe for a reasonable time keep a man alive, so by this means one pound of
the citrate will relieve two men from the distressing pangs of thirst for eight days,
and so on for a greater number of persons in proportion to the weight of citrate of
silver used.
As citrate of silver is easily decomposed by exposure to light, air, or organic
matter. I recommend that it be kept in stoppered bottles, in bulbs or tubes of
earthenware or colored glass, hermetically sealed and capped or partially covered
with india rubber, or, for the purposes of this invention and in many cases for
general use, covered entirely with india rubber or any suitable preparation thereof
which, as such bottles, bulbs or tubes may be subject to rough treatment, will
protect them from fracture, or if crushed or broken would save their contents.
These bottles etc. either covered or uncovered may be inclosed in felt bags that would
afterwards act as filters to separate the insoluble chlorido precipitate from the
drinkable water, and such bags and their contents should be kept in receptacles
beneath the seats of ship's boats, the canisters or thwarts of life boats, and in other
safe places on board such craft. I also recommend the use of a convenient length
of india rubber tube, having one end plugged with a straining or filtering substance,
such as sponge, felt, cotton, wool, carbon, or asbestos, through which, by drawing at
the opposite end of the tube, the drinkable sea water may be imbibed; and further,
I recommend the use of albuminous foods in a condensed form to be kept in the
same receptacles and places, so that a smaller portion of silver salt being used than
is above described, a potable sea water would be obtained containing some pro-
portions of its constituent, common salt, which is needful for the better assimilation
of such foods, and this would greatly economise the use of the silver salt, besides
providing a nutritious aliment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. I claim the treating of sea water in the manner herein described, by means
of the citrate or other organic salts of silver, or other salt of an organic acid which
has a greater affinity for hydrochloric acid than cither sodium, potassium, or
magnesium, for the purpose of rendering such water drinkable and fit to support
the lives of shipwrecked and other persons where fresh water cannot be obtained.
Second. I claim the use of such drinkable sea water for medicinal and other
purposes.

page_text: Third. I claim the use of bottles, bulbs and tubes of earthenware or glass,
partially or entirely covered with india rubber or any suitable preparation thereof,
for the purpose of excluding the atmosphere, and also for protecting such bottles,
bulbs, and tubes from fracture and their contents from light, whether they contain
salts of silver, or other salts or liquids.