THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF AN IMPONDERABLE FLUID, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clinton. Edgcumbe Brooman, of the Firm of
Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agents, for the Invention of "THE PRODUCTION AND
APPLICATION OF AN IMPONDERABLE FLUID, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS OR
MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication from abroad by Martin
Ziegler, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 2nd April 1867, and dated the 3rd October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd October 1866.
I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE PRODUCTION AND
APPLICATION OF AN IMPONDERABLE FLUID, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS OR MEANS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The present Inventor has observed that whenever azote and carbon are
brought into contact, whether an azoted body and a carbonated body, or even
a body strongly azoted and another which is only feebly azoted, there is
disengaged an imponderable fluid, the presence of which is made known by
particular effects on the organism of living things, animal or vegetable. This
fluid, which the present Inventor calls the "vital fluid," is thus a new agent

page_text: generated in the midst of chemical circumstances, like heat, light, and elec-
tricity. It is collected, manifested, and transmitted by currents like the
electric fluid, as hereafter explained, but notwithstanding that the phenomena
by which it manifests itself have a certain analogy with electric phenomena, this
vital fluid has really an existence of itself, autonomous and independent, and
the best proof of this is, that its currents can pass through conductors which
are insulating for electricity.
Having explained the nature of this fluid, I proceed to describe several
apparatus which permit of generating it and putting it into an efficient working
state.
The object of this. Invention is the practical and industrial utilization of the
physical and physiological effects of this vital fluid, and although I describe
hereafter only a few apparatus for carrying out this object, I wish it to be
understood that all processes acting according to the same principles to lead
to like results may be employed.
Azoted bodies are those which are the best conductors of the vital fluid,
and among them preference is given to silk, which has the advantage of inter-
cepting the electric currents, the intervention of which would be inconvenient.
As insulating bodies of the vital fluid, I may mention glass, enamels, and
minerals in general.
I now proceed to describe several arrangements of apparatus for producing
the vital fluid which are comparable in one point of view with voltaic piles or
batteries; thus in each of the apparatus will be found a generator of the fluid
with two heterogeneous chemical substances, one having a base of carbon, and
the other a base of azote, and two conducting threads, a kind of reophores to
conduct the current and close it by a circuit.
The following is a good arrangement :-A porous vessel or bladder is filled
with caustic ammonia and immersed up to the neck in molasses contained in
an ordinary vessel; a silk thread is attached to the neck of the porous vessel
or bladder, and the end of a second silk thread is placed in the molasses; the
two ends of the silk threads being connected the circuit is closed, and the
current of vital fluid passes; its effect will become manifested on an organized
being in the line of the current; if a certain number of these elements are
gathered together in couples, a dozen for example, by plunging the thread
from the ammonia of the first element into the molasses of the following
element, and so on, or by connecting on the one side all the threads from the
ammonia. and on the other all those from the molasses a powerful current
will be obtained, which produces on an animated being very considerable
effects.

page_text: A more practical arrangement consisting of glass tubes may be employed;
for this purpose a glass tube is taken, having a length of 10 or 15 times its
diameter; the two ends are slightly widened, and two cork stoppers are pre-
pared, which are entirely covered with two or four thicknesses of gold beaters'
skin tied over the upper end of the cork by a silk cord, which forms one of
the conductors; it is however preferable to pass the silk cord through the
tube. The tube being stoppered at one of its ends, a thin disc of coal is allowed
to slip therein; on the disc is spread some grains of silicious sand to prevent
its contact with a second disc of coal, care being taken each time that sand is
introduced to cover it with ammonia in such manner that finally all is immersed
in the liquid. The tube being filled, the other end is. closed by the second
cork stopper, and the vital fluid is produced and forms two currents, which
flow through the conducting threads. By joining several of these tubes end
to end, or all in a single bundle, more powerful currents are obtained.
These arrangements give very good results, but the following may be
employed. Glass tubes are used stoppered at the two ends like the preceding,
but instead of coal and silicious sand with ammonia they are supplied with
alternate layers of sugar of milk in powder and cyanide of potassium, not too
dry, each of these materials being rammed down separately.
The construction of the apparatus will necessarily vary considerably according
to the purpose to which they are to be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CLINTON
EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, 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,

page_text: 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 "THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF AN IMPONDERABLE
FLUID, TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN," (commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Martin Ziegler, of Paris, France,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the saine is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The present Inventor has observed that whenever azote and carbon are brought
into contact, whether an azoted body and a carbonated body, or even a body
strongly azoted and another which is only feebly azoted, there is disengaged an
imponderable fluid, the presence of which is made known by particular effects
on the organism of living things, animal or vegetable. This fluid, which the
present Inventor calls the vital or organic fluid, is thus a new agent generated
in the midst of chemical circumstances, like heat, light, and electricity. It is
collected, manifested, and transmitted by currents like the electric fluid, as
hereafter explained, but notwithstanding that the phenomena by which it
manifests itself have a certain analogy with electric phenomena, this vital or
organic fluid has really an existence of itself, autonomous and independent,
and the best proof of this is, that its currents can pass through conductors
which are insulating for electricity.
Having explained the nature of this fluid, I proceed to describe several
apparatus which permit of generating it and putting it into an efficient
working state.
The object of this Invention is the practical and industrial utilization of the
physical and physiological effects of this vital or organic fluid, and although I
describe hereafter only a few apparatus for carrying out this object, I wish it
to be understood that all processes acting according to the same principles to
lead to like results may be employed.
Azoted bodies are those which are the best conductors of the vital or
organic fluids, and among them preference is given to silk, which has the

page_text: advantage of intercepting the electrical currents, the intervention of which
would be inconvenient. As insulating bodies of the vital fluid I may mention
glass, enamels, and minerals in general.
The present Inventor has also observed that if an acid or an alkali be made
to act upon an organic matter a large quantity of vegetable or organic fluid is
disengaged; also that if the organic matter is devoid of azote the disengage-
ment of the fluid takes place if an acid or an alkali be made to react upon a
hydrocarburet, or even upon carbon.
I now proceed to describe several arrangements of apparatus for producing
the vital or organic fluid, which are comparable in one point of view with
voltaic piles or batteries; thus in each of the apparatus will be found a gene-
rator of the fluid with two heterogeneous chemical substances, one having
a base of carbon and the other a base of azote, and two conducting threads, a
kind of reophores to conduct the current and close it by a circuit.
The following is a good arrangement:-A porous vessel or bladder is filled
with caustic ammonia and immersed up to the neck in molasses contained in
an ordinary vessel; a silk thread is attached to the neck of the porous vessel
or bladder, and the end of a second silk thread is placed in the molasses, the
two ends of the silk threads being connected the circuit is closed, and the
current of vital fluid passes; its effect will become manifested on an organized
being in the line of the current. If a certain number of these elements are
gathered together in couples, a dozen for example, by plunging the thread from
the ammonia of the first element into the molasses of the following element, and
so on, or by connecting on the one side all the threads from the ammonia
and on the other all those from the molasses, a powerful current will be
obtained, which produces on an animated being very considerable effects.
A more practical arrangement consisting of glass tubes may be employed;
for this purpose a glass tube is taken, having a length of 10 or 15 times its
diameter; the two ends are slightly widened, and two cork stoppers are
prepared which are entirely covered with two or four thicknesses of gold-
beaters' skin tied over the upper end of the cork by a silk cord, which forms
one of the conductors; it is however preferable to pass the silk cord through
the tube. The tube being stoppered at one of its ends a thin disc of coal is
allowed to slip therein; on the disc is spread some grains of siliceous sand to
prevent its contact with a second disc of coal, care being taken each time that
sand is introduced to cover it with ammonia in such manner that finally all is
immersed in the liquid. The tube being filled, the other end is closed by the
second cork stopper, and the vital fluid is produced and forms two currents,

page_text: which flow through the conducting threads. By joining several of these tubes
end to end, or all in a single bundle, more powerful currents are obtained.
These arrangements give very good results, but the following may be
employed. Glass tubes are used stoppered at the two ends like the preceding
but instead of coal and siliceous sand with ammonia they are supplied with
alternate layers of sugar of milk in powder and cyanide of potassium, not too
dry, each of these materials being rammed down separately.
The construction of the apparatus will necessarily vary considerable
according to the purpose to which they are to be applied.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
männer the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the production and application of an imponderable fluid herein-before
termed the vital or organic fluid, such fluid being capable of acting upon the
organism of living beings, animal or vegetable.
Second, the production of this imponderable fluid by putting in contact azote
and carbon, whether an azoted body and a carbonated body, or a body strongly
azoted, and a body only feebly azoted, or by ca using an acid or an alkali to
act on an organic matter, or by making an acid or an alkali react on a
bydrocarburet or on carbon.
Third, the apparatus or means substantially as herein-before described for
producing the imponderable fluid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.