A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF MEDICINAL PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION of MEDICINAL DISCS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SURGICAL AND MEDICINAL PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Barker, of the Firm of Savory
and Moore, of New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF MEDICINAL
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert
Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th March 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT BARKER, of the Firm of Savory and Moore, of
New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE of
MEDICINAL DISCS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SURGICAL AND MEDICINAL PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
The Invention relates to a new or improved manufacture of medicinal
or medicated discs to be used for medical and surgical purposes, such
discs consisting of gelatine, isinglass, or their compounds, preserving in

page_text: its or their congealed state certain curative component chemicals
previously added thereto and mixed therewith for subsequent use in a
soluble condition as a medicine, or medicines, or for surgical purposes
by injection, or as a medicament or medicaments.
The process of manufacture and the method of using such prepared
gelatinous compound are as follows:-The gelatine, or isinglass, or
suitable compounds thereof being reduced to a state of solution by
convenient means is prepared to receive by admixture and in exact pro-
portions by weight the necessary chemical ingredients, the nature of
which corresponds with the class of ailment or disease to which they are
intended to apply; as examples, morphia, atropia, strychnia, codeia,
quinine, or ergotine, or others, more especially their salts may be used
and mixed with the prepared gelatine, or isinglass, or their compounds,
the strength and quantities of which must be carefully regulated. As
an example of proportion I propose in using the sulphate of atropia
when the same is to be adminstered to arrest the profuse perspiration of
pthisis to so regulate the dose as that each disc shall contain about the
one hundred and twentieth part of a grain of atropia.
It is well known that the class of medicinal substances enumerated
constantly lose their strength by exposure to the air and decomposition
of aqueous solutions. These solutions, especially of potent alkaloids,
become weaker in a rapid degree by constant manipulation of the chemist
or surgeon; but by admixture with properly prepared gelatine, or
isinglass, or their compounds, and by subsequent solidification, all the
strength of their valuable preparations is inevitably preserved for any
length of time notwithstanding continual exposure to air, so that the
discs may be carried in the pocket if required in a bottle or case.
The discs are easily formed from the soft gelatinous mass either by
rolling it, or by moulding, or by any other convenient method of division.
It is only necessary when using them to dissolve one or more in water
or other suitable liquid when they may be applied to surgical purposes,
as in the case of hypodermic injections, the chemicals being then once
more set free to act with their full virtue and effect when expelled by a
syringo or other injector. By the same solutions the chemical com-
pounds may be administered as medicines, or they may be applied to the
patient as medicaments, always constituting convenient vehicles for

page_text: conveying or applying the special curative properties of the chemical
compound to the benefit of the patient. Or the discs may be placed on
the tongue of the patient and thus dissolved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Barker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT BARKER, of the Firm of Savory and Moorc, of New Bond
Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Barker,
Her special licence that I, the said William Robert Barker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Robert Barker, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF MEDICINAL
DISCS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SURGICAL AND MEDICINAL PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Barker,
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 Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :--
My Invention relates to a new or improved manufacture of medicinal
or medicated discs to be used for medical and surgical purposes, such
discs consisting of gelatine, isinglass, or their compounds, preserving in
its or their congealed state certain curative component chemicals
previously added thereto and mixed therewith for subsequent use in a
soluble condition as a medicine, or medicines, or for surgical purposes
by injection, or as a medicament or medicaments.
The process of manufacture and the method of using such prepared
gelatinous compound are as follow:-The gelatine, or isinglass, or
suitable compounds thereof being reduced to a state of solution by
convenient means is prepared to receive by admixture and in exact
proportions by weight the necessary chemical ingredients, the nature of
which corresponds with the class of ailment or disease to which they are
intended to apply; as for example, morphia, atropia, strychnia, codeia,
quinine or ergotine, or others, more especially their salts, may be used
and mixed with the prepared gelatine, or isinglass, or their compounds,
the strength and quantities of which must be carefully regulated. As
an example of proportion I propose in using the sulphate of atropia
when the same is to be administered to arrest the profuse perspiration of
phthisis to so regulate the dose as that each disc shall contain about the
one hundred and twentieth part of a grain of atropia.
It is well known that the class of medicinal substances enumerated
constantly lose their strength by exposure to the air, and decomposition
of aqueous solutions. These solutions, especially of potent alkaloids,
become weaker in a rapid degree by constant manipulation of the
chemist or surgeon; but by admixture with properly prepared gelatine,
or isinglass, or their compounds, and by subsequent solidification, all
the strength of their valuable preparations is inevitably preserved for
any length of time notwithstanding continual exposure to air, so that
the discs may be carried in the pocket, or in a bottle, or case.
The discs are easily formed from the soft gelatinous mass either by
rolling it, or by moulding, or by any other convenient method of
division. It is only necessary when using them to dissolve one or more
in water or other suitable liquid when they may be applied to surgical
purposes as in the case of hypodermic injections, the chemicals then

page_text: being once more set free to act with their full virtue and effect when
expelled by a syringe or other injector. By the same solutions the
chemical compounds may be administered as medicines, or they may be
applied to the patient as medicaments, always constituting convenient
vehicles for conveying or applying the special curative properties of the
chemical compounds to the benefit of the patient. Or the discs may be
placed on the tongue of the patient and thus dissolved.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark that I do
not limit myself to the use of the chemical ingredients named, as of
course there are many others which could be adapted to the purposes of
the Invention. The examples I have given shew sufficiently the principle
whereby other examples can be based, care being taken in all cases to
regulate the proportions in accordance with the prescribed formulæ for
the important and powerful medicines or ingredients employed. I claim
and desire to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters
Patent, the new manufacture of medicated or medicinal discs for surgical
and medical purposes by the admixture of the necessary medicinal
ingredients, such as morphia, atropia, and others in proper proportions,
with a base of gelatine, or isinglass, or suitable compounds thereof, all
substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Barker, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
WILLIAM PROCTOR.
W. R. BARKER.
(L.S.)