AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PURIFYING WATER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Medlock, of No. 20, Great Marlborough Street.
in the City of Westminster, Analytical Chemist, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PURIFYING WATER."
Scaled the 8th May 1857, and dated the 21st January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Medlock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st January 1857.
I, HENRY MEDLOCK, of No. 20, Great Marlborough Street, in the City of
Westminster, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PURIFYING WATER," to be as
follows:-
The said Invention consists of a method of purifying water containing
organic matter, or the products of its oxidation, by separating a certain portion
of the organic matter and rendering the rest innocuous, and of separating some
portion of the inorganic substances, if any, in solution in the the water, and if
they are present converting the phosphides into phosphites or phosphates, and
the sulphides into sulphites or sulphates, by which the quality of the water is
very much improved and it is rendered more wholesome. The above is
effected by allowing the water, previous to filtration, to remain in contact with
certain solid bodies, particularly metals, for a certain time; the body I prefer

page_text: to use for this purpose is iron, as the water is not injured by any of its oxide
Being dissolved in it. Previous to filtration 1 immerse in the water scrap iron,
iron turnings, iron wire, or iron in any other convenient form, and allow it
to remain twenty-four hours or longer, according to the quantity of water, or
until the precipitate containing organic matter ceases to form. This precipitate
is afterwards separated from the water by the filter. The effect of this contact
with the iron is to oxidise the nitrogenous organic matter and ammonia,
whereby nitrous and nitric oxids are formed, which combine with the iron
or with some of the inorganic bases in the water. The whole or nearly so of
the residue of the organic matter is precipitated, and with it some part of the
inorganic matter.
The same oxidizing process converts the phosphides and sulphides, which
render water so unfit for domestic and other purposes, into phosphites or phos-
phates, and sulphites or sulphates, which are comparatively harmless.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Medlock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
MEDLOCK, of Number 20, Great Marlborough Street, in the City of West-
minster, Analytical Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Medlock, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Medlock,
any excentors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Medlock, 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, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
"PURIFYING WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Medlock, 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Medlock, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
The said Invention consists of a method of purifying and rendering more
wholesome and useful water which either contains in solution only organic
matter or the products of its decomposition, or which may also contain in
solution inorganic matter, by separating and removing from the water a portion
of such organic matter, and rendering the remainder of such organic matter
innocuous; and in case the water also contains in solution inorganic matter, by
separating and removing from the water a certain portion of such inorganic
matter, and by rendering innocuous any phosphides or sulphides which the
water may contain in solution, by converting such phosphides into phosphites
or phosphates, and such sulphides into sulphites or sulphates respectively.
The manner of performing the said Invention is to place the water pre-
viously to its filtration in a vessel or reservoir of convenient size, and there to
allow it to remain in contact with certain solid bodies of metal or other sub-
stance presenting a sufficient extent of surface in contact with the water for
twenty-four hours or longer, according to the quantity of water as compared
with the extent of surface presented to the water by such bodies, or until thre
precipitation of organic matter occasioned by such contact ceases, after which
any of the precipitate occasioned by the aforesaid process which may remain
suspended in the water should be removed from the water by subjecting the
water to filtration in the ordinary manner.
The solid bodies which I prefer to use for the above purpose are metallic
bodies, and the metal I prefer to use for the above purpose is iron, on account
of the little injury the water sustains by the use of it. And I prefer to use
the iron in the form of scrap iron, iron turnings, iron wire, or sheet iron,
though iron in any form presenting a sufficient surface in contact with the
water will tend to the same result.
The following I find to be a convenient method of applying my aforesaid
Invention:-I suspend in a tank or reservoir containing the water to be
purified, by means of iron rods passing across it, iron wire of about one-
sixteenth of an inch in diameter loosely packed in bundles or coils, and in the
proportion of about one pound weight of such wire to every one hundred
gallons of water. I allow the water to remain in contact with the iron wire
from tw:nty-four to forty-eight hours, according to the rapidity with which

page_text: the precipitation of organic matter occasioned by such contact takes place, and
I then pass the water through any kind of filtering medium now in use which
is capable of retaining the precipitate formed. For the filtration of water in
large bulk, I have found the ordinary sand filter sufficient. The effect of the
contact of the water with the solid bodies above described, when the water
contains nitrogen in any form, is to decompose or oxidise the organic matter
and the ammonia contained in the water, whereby a certain part of the organic
matter and ammonia is converted into nitrous or nitric acids, or both of them,
by which the rest of the organic matter is rendered insoluble. The nitrous
and nitric acids finally combine with the iron or other solid bodies above
described, or with some of the inorganic bases, if any, contained in the water,
and the organic matter rendered insoluble is precipitated together with some
part of the inorganic matter, if any, contained in the water. And any phos-
sphides or sulphides which may be contained, in the water are converted by
oxidation into phosphites or phosphates, or sulphites or sulphates respectively,
which are comparatively harmless.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Medlock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
HENRY MEDLOCK. (L.S.)