A Novel Process for the Preparation of Anatomic, Entomologic and other Specimens, whereby Preservation when Exposed to the Air is Ensured, and also a Durable Fixing upon the Skin of the Hair, Feathers, and other External Growths.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Novel Process for the Preparation of Anatomic, Entomologic and
other Specimens, whereby Preservation when Exposed to the Air
is Ensured, and also a Durable Fixing upon the Skin of the Hair,
Feathers, and other External Growths.
We, FRANCOIS DE RECHTER, of Avenue de la Toison, Engineer, and GUSTAVE
DE RECHTER, of 27, Rue Watteau, Doctor of Medicine, both of Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
Hitherto, the preservation of types or specimens for collections has been effected
by means of insufficient or incomplete processes. Thus there is employed (a) The
process of desiccation which does not absolutely protect organic matter from decom-
position, and which more especially does not preserve entomological collections, for
example, from the attacks of Bermestes Troctes or other destructive arthropoda;
(b) Preservation in alcohol or other preserving and fixing liquid, of more or less
complex composition, which does not preserve the normal aspect or consistency of
the tissues and organs; (c) Immersion is formaline more or less diluted, which,
although superior to the other methods, does not realise the ideal, the consistency
of the organs becoming modified to such an extent as to render dissecting operations
difficult; (d) As regards congealation, which is sometimes employed, it is only
temporarily efficacious, organic substance putrifying more rapidly than under
ordinary conditions as soon as it is removed from the refrigerator.
With especial regard to embalmments, it is well known that all processes hither-
to employed are eminently aleatory; whether the injection of antiseptic liquids or
fixing liquids into the vascular system is resorted to, or whether envelopment by
means of bandages impregnated with aromatic substances, or a combination of the
two methods, is employed. It is generally necessary to in all cases previously
effect the evisceration of the body in order to have a reasonable chance of success.
The discovery of a process capable of ensuring the preservation of types for col-
lection or of anatomical parts with their natural characteristics, which will enable
the indefinite manipulation of these objects of research without any alteration
taking place, (and this without its being necessary to submit the objects to any fresh
treatment) and which is also adapted to protect the objects absolutely from the
attacks of any destructive organism, and which is further capable of preserving the
objects indefinitely whatever may be their volume, without previous evisceration,
the discovery of such a process, we repeat, incontestably realises a serious and satis-
factory progress with respect to an important desideratum in the scientific world.
We have succeeded in solving this complex problem: our process enabling us to
effect an absolute and definite fixing of animals (and other organisms) even in a
whole condition, and this whilst fixing especially the hair or feathers in the
cutaneous covering, thus preserving the normal aspect of the subject operated
upon.
Our process, which acts at the same time as a method of fixing organic tissues
DO37

page_text: and as a method of disinfection (which is also applicable to the disinfection of all
substances, whether organic or otherwise) is so efficacious in its action that we are
able to sterilise microbes such as those of the glanders or of anthrax, for example,
within the unopened bodies of animals which have died owing to inoculation with
these microbes.
As regards the embalmment or mummification of human bodies, we would point
out that our method does not in any way interfere with toxicological researches,
which is extremely important from a medico-legal point of view. On the contrary,
decomposition being definitely prevented, there is no cause to apprehend the for-
mation of ptomaines which are frequently a serious obstacle to searches for alcaloids
which may have been administered with criminal intent.
Our process consists in submitting, for a sufficiently long period, the specimens
or types to be treated; to the action of an atmosphere which is constantly saturated
with formic aldehyde, such saturation being obtained by means of a continuous
circulation of this atmosphere in contact with a very large evaporating surface,
which is presented to formic aldehyde or its paraldehydes and trioxymethylenes
either liquid or in solution; in such a manner that this atmosphere which becomes
impoverished in formic aldehyde owing to the absorption of this gas by the sub-
stance to be treated, becomes again enriched in formic aldehyde in passing over the
aforesaid evaporation surface.
For this purpose the objects or bodies to be treated, are exposed in a closed and
tight vessel containing formic aldehyde, in which they are suspended or arranged
upon gratings in such a manner as to present the whole of their surface to the action
of the active atmosphere which envelopes them. This evaporation vessel or cham;
ber is in communication, at its two extremities, with a second chamber which
partially surrounds it, and which contains a device of any suitable description
enabling the solution of formic aldehyde, which is admitted to it in a small, regu-
lated quantity, to spread over a very large surface of porous substance; the supply
of formic aldehyde being effected from outside. The device should be such that
free circulation of the internal atmosphere of the apparatus is not impeded.
The second chamber contains in addition a wheel with vanes or a trumpet, or any
other device capable of forcing the air contained in the apparatus to circulate in
a constant manner from one chamber to the other.
For the sake of greater clearness, we have represented diagrammatically in the
accompanying drawing (but by way of example only), a form of the apparatus
which we employ.
The chamber C is the exposing chamber provided with the gratings I. It is
provided, on one of its sides, with an aperture for inserting the objects to be treated.
which aperture is closed by a lid K (Figure 1) making a tight joint. This chamber
is also provided with two apertures 0 and 0¹ which may be stopped whilst objects
are being placed in or withdrawn from the chamber by means of registers R and R'.
These apertures communicate with the evaporation chamber E which surrounds the
chamber C at its lower and front portions.
In proximity to the aperture 01 (Figure 1) is arranged within the chamber E,
the lower wall of which is covered with felt V or other similar substance, the wheel
provided with vanes M and actuated by the motor T, which may be either hydraulic,
electric or of any suitable kind, whilst adjacent to the aperture it contains a
series of porous strips N which are suspended from a grating formed (see
Figures 2 and 3) by a series of grooves or gutters s which receive the formic alde-
hyde from outside by means of a supply pipe U (Figure 1) or of any other device
opening into one of these gutters.
The felt strips N are retained in the example illustrated (as shown in Figures 3
and 4) by the weight of the metallic bars F resting upon the gutters s.
A tight lid H (Figure 1) closes under pressure the aperture giving access to
the chamber E.
It is obvious that with this arrangement the air contained in the apparatus may
be caused to circulate constantly from one chamber to another. In addition, the

page_text: motor T being capable of variations in speed, the action of the formic aldehyde
upon the bodies to be treated may be regulated and graduated by causing the
speed of this motor to increase or diminish.
By means of our process, which utilises formic aldehyde méthodically and
economically, we succeed in penetrating, even in their deepest portions, organic
bodies of the largest size. We likewise succeed in fixing, in a remarkable manner,
the hair and feathers upon skins which have hitherto been regarded as beyond
the powers of the ordinary processes employed in furriery. Thus, with the skins
or dogs, hares, deer, roebucks and the like, we obtain a complete fixing of the
hair or coat such that these skins may be utilised for the production of furs.
Our process is not intended for use in the preparation of skins for the manufacture
of leather, as we are well aware that formic aldehyde has been proposed as a sub-
stitute for the tanning substances extracts of tan or tannic acids. We are also
aware that formic aldehyde only causes albumenoid substances to coagulate, whilst
in order to obtain leather of good quality, it is indispensable that the special com-
bination resulting from the action of the tannic acid upon the albumenoid. and
other substances should be incorporated in the mass of the skins themselves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The process of sterilisation and preservation of specimens for collection and
anatomical parts above described, which consists in submitting the objects to be
treated to the action of an atmosphere constantly saturated with formic aldehyde,
such saturation being obtained by a continuous circulation of the air contained in
the apparatus in such a manner that its impoverishment in gaseous aldehyde, due
to the absorption of this latter by the objects exposed, is constantly compensated by
its enrichment in contact with the evaporation and separation surface which is of
large development and constantly impregnated with formic aldehyde in solution or
with its paraldehydes and trioxymethylenes.
2. The same process applied to the fixing of hair and of feathers upon skins,
In order to render these latter suitable for all purposes in furriery.
3. In combination with the process above described, the use of an hermētic
pparatus comprising a chamber in which the constant saturation of the active
tmosphere is obtained by means of a continuous circulation of this atmosphere upon
considerable separating evaporation surface presented to the formic aldehyde or
ts paraldehydes and trioxymethylenes.
Dated this 25th day of October 1898
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.