New or Improved Process for Preserving Meat and other Alimentary Substances.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Process for Preserving Meat and other Alimentary
Substances.
I, WILHELM LANWER, of Friburg, Switzerland, Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows: -
In principle the process consists in the fact that the meat when wholesome,
fresh and free from germs is covered with a coat of special preparation described
hereafter and thus protected from the bacterias.
It is first of all necessary, the
animal, whose flesh must be preserved, should be killed in a sterilized place and
preserved until it is completely cooled. All the instruments used for cutting the
meat must also be sterilized as much as possible.
The cut joints are then immediately submerged in boiling water containing
about 5% of chloride of sodium to destroy the bacteria eventually adhering to
the surface of the meat, and afterwards plunged into a gelatinous liquid of the
following composition:
Gelatine
Amylum (in preference crystallized amylum)
Chloride of sodium
Water
20 parts.
5 parts.
5 parts.
70 parts.
All these substances being dissolved by heating them in a water-bath. The
meat is then immediately removed from the liquid and afterwards dried. It is then
dipped again into the same liquid and put while still wet, in a place hermetically
shut, in which, before the second dip is dry formaldehydic vapours are developed.
The formaldehydic vapours combine intimately with the coating of gelatine con-
taining chloride of sodium, this gelatinous coating becoming as firm and tenacious
as leather and cannot be dissolved in boiling water nor be attacked by acids
alkalis or other chemical agents. The pieces of meat thus prepared are preserved
as numerous trials have proved for mouths in an absolutely fresh state. The
meat itself does not come into contact with the formaldehyde and consequently pre-
serves its primitive taste and remajus tender and juicy for the juices such as
blood. cannot evaporate; in a word it possesses all the qualities of the flesh of an
animal just killed and it offers the advantage of being free from bacteria, which
is impossible with the flesh of animals killed by the butcher.
When meat thus prepared must be exported or used for supplying ships or the
army the following process is again followed:
Bags are made air tight and water-tight by being dipped into the same gelatinous
liquid in a similar manner to the above process and then exposed also to the action
of formaldehydic vapours.
Bags made of a thick cotton tissue, of jute or linen-cloth are the most suitable
for this purpose. The sacks are provided at their mouths with a suitable tying-
contrivance.
Moreover a small bag filled with cotton and impregnated with a solution of
formaline from 10 to 20% is tied in the first the result of which is on the one

page_text: hand the hermetical closing and on the other hand the content of the bag remains
free from bacterias owing to the slow and continuous evaporation of the formaline.
The meat treated after the above process and put into bags thus prepared pre-
serves its freshness even during long voyages in tropical regions.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1897.
L. DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.
New or Improved Process for Preserving Meat and other Alimentary
Substances.
I, WILHELM LANWER, late of Friburg, Switzerland, and at present of 11, Mittel-
strasse, Berne, Switzerland, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;―
The process consists substantially in enclosing healthy fresh meat free from
germs with a coating prepared in a special manner and hereinafter described in
detail whereby said meat is thus protected against bacteria (such as protens vulgaris,
protens mirabilis, protens zenkeri, &c.) which produce putrefaction. It is above
all necessary that the animal the flesh of which is to be preserved, shall be
All the
slaughtered in a sterilized place and shall be kept until it is quite cold.
instruments employed in cutting up the meat must also be sterilized to the fullest
possible extent.
The pieces of meat when cut up are then plunged immediately into boiling
water containing about 5%, of chloride of sodium for the purpose of destroying the
bacteria that may possibly be adhering to the surface of the meat. The pieces of
meat are then immersed in a gelatinous liquid having the following composition:
Gelatine
-
-
Starch (preferably starch in the form of needles, or rice starch)
Chloride of sodium
Water
-
-
20 parts.
5 parts.
5 parts.
-
70 parts.
All these substances being dissolved by heating in a water bath.
The meat is then immediately removed from this liquid, then allowed to drain,
and is then dried. Afterwards it is once more immersed into the same liquid and
it is then placed, whilst still wet in a hermetically closed place in which, before the
second layer has become dry, there are generated vapours of form-aldehyde. The
vapours of form-aldehyde combine intimately with the layer of gelatine con-
taining the chloride of sodium and they have also the result of causing the gelatinous
coating to acquire the firmness and toughness of leather and so that it can no longer
be dissolved in boiling water nor be attacked by acids, alkalis, &c. The pieces of
meat when thus treated will keep (as has been shown by experiments on a large
scale) during entire months in a state of absolute freshness. The meat itself
does not come in contact at all with the formaldehyde and consequently it retains
its original taste whilst yet remaining tender and juicy because the juices of the
meat, such as the blood, &c., cannot evaporate. In a word it thus possesses all the
qualities of the meat of an animal that has been freshly slaughtered and it has
also as compared with this latter meat the advantage of being free from bacteria
which is impossible in the case of the meat of animals killed by the butcher.
When the neat thus prepared is to be exported or is to serve for the victualling of

page_text: trans-atlantic ships, explorers in tropical regions, scientific expeditions, or for the
victualling of armies by land and sea, the further following process is employed:
Bags are rendered impervious to water and to air by immersing the bags in the
same manner as in the above described process in the same gelatinous liquid and by
exposing them likewise to the action of the vapours of formaldehyde. Bags made
of a thick tissue of cotton, jute or flax are most suitable for this purpose. The bags
are provided at their open ends with a suitable device for lacing them up.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings:-
Figure 1 shows an open bag, and
Figure 2 shows the same closed.
The bag C made of a thick tissue of cotton or the like is adapted to receive a
small bag A made of a pervious tissue and filled with cotton B impregnated with
a solution of formaline, the upper rim of said small bag A is provided with suitable
eyelets or perforations D'. The small bag A is introduced into the bag C, so that
the eyelets or perforations D1 thereof register with corresponding eyelets or perfora-
tions 1) made in the upper rim of said bag C, and a cord or string E made of hemp
or any suitable metal, passes through the eyelets or perforations in both rims,
whereby the two bags A and C are firmly secured together on one hand, whilst
on the other hand the bag C will be perfectly closed and the contents thereof
remain free from bacteria by reason of the slow and continued evaporation of the
formalina
Meat treated in the above described manner and placed in bags thus prepared
will retain its freshness even during very long voyages in tropical regions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :―
(1) A process for retaining the freshness of meat and alimentary substances of
all kinds, characterised by the fact that the meat or the alimentary substances to
be preserved are immersed in a liquid composed of 20 parts of gelatine, 5 parts of
starch, 5 parts of chloride of sodium, and 70 parts of water, and are then subjected
to the action of the vapours of formaldehyde which impart to the gelatinous coating
of the meat or alimentary substances the necessary firmness and toughness to
prevent the juices of the meat or the like from evaporating and to enable the
meat or alimentary substances to retain their original freshness, substantially
as described.
(2) A process for the transport of the meat or alimentary substances intended
for export, or the like, characterised by the fact that the meat or alimentary sub-
stances treated according to the process specified in Claim 1, are placed in bags
made of a thick tissue of cotton, jute, flax, or the like and impregnated with the
same gelatinous liquid as the meat or the alimentary substances, there being
fastened up in each bag thus prepared a second small bag filled with
cotton and impregnated with a solution of formaline with the object of producing
a hermetic closure and of preserving the meat or alimentary substances free from
bacteria, substantially as herein before described.
(3) A process for preserving meat and other alimentary substances, substantially
as herein before described.
(4) The preservation of meat and other alimentary substances by the means
and process herein described.