AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANTISEPTIC SURGICAL " DRESSINGS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki Proprietor of the
firm of J Brandt & G. W. v Nawrocki, Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer of
124 Leipzigerstrasse, Berlin, Germany for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANTISEPTIC SURGICAL
"
DRESSINGS a communication from Paul Hartmann of Hudenheim Wurttemberg
in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von
Nawrocki at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th September
1883.
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, Proprietor of the firm of J. Brandt
& G. W. v Nawrocki, Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer of 124 Leipzigerstrasse,
Berlin, Germany, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
PREPARING ANTISEPTIC SURGICAL DRESSINGS [A communication from Paul
Hartmann of Hudenheim Wurttemberg in the Empire of Germany]
"
This invention relates to a method or process for the preparation of antiseptic
surgical dressings from wood chips shavings or cellulose and to apparatus therefor.
Heretofore, wadding or cotton tissues have been the principal substances which
when impregnated with antiseptic products such as carbolic or salicylic acid,
iodoform, corrosive sublimate and the like, have been employed as antiseptic
surgical dressings. Dressings thus prepared being only obtainable at a very high
price, cheaper material such as peat dust, cinders sand and similar substances have
been tried for the same purpose and impregnated with the above mentioned
chemicals but they have been found very deficient as antiseptics being neither
clean nor free from dust, and having to be used in very small pieces the same have
to be enclosed in bags which is not a suitable form for dressing wounds
According to this invention a preparation is obtained from wood gratings or
shavings which has been found highly suitable as an antiseptic surgical dressing.
This preparation is obtained as follows; that is to say. fresh wood chips in rough
pieces or wood shavings in a slightly moist state just as obtained from the

page_text: workshop, are reduced to fragments or shreds by means of a peculiar machine and
converted into loose and woolly material.
This said machine consists of one or several rollers covered with pointed teeth in
the same manner as the card band of a cotton spinning machine, and which
rotating at a speed of from five to six metres per second, reduce the wood chips or
shavings into fragments or shreds.
By arranging bars of suitable material in proximity to the said rollers in such a
manner that the wood chips or shavings torn by these rollers will be returned
upon the same the efficiency of this tearing process is greatly increased and after
the wood chips or shavings have been passed several times through the rollers a
more or less loose fibrous preparation is obtained which is forthwith desiccated and
subsequently impregnated with chemicals.
This impregnation is effected by spreading out the fibrous preparation in thin
layers and evenly spraying upon it the liquid with which the said fibrous
preparation is to be impregnated the whole mass being now and then repeatedly
and thoroughly mixed up. A highly suitable liquid for impregnating the above
fibrous preparation is obtained by dissolving corrosive sublimate in alcohol and
adding glycerine thereto but some other liquid will also answer the purpose such
as carbolic or salicylic acid, iodoform and the like
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki in the Patent Office on the
12th March 1884.
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, Proprietor of the firm of J. Brandt and
G. W. v. Nawrocki, Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer, of 124 Leipzigerstrasse,
Berlin, Germany. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
PREPARING ANTISEPTIC SURGICAL DRESSINGS" a communication from Paul
Hartmann, of Hudenheim, Wurttemberg, in the empire of Germany
This invention relates to the preparation of a material for antiseptic surgical
dressings from wood-chips, shavings or cellulose.
Heretofore, wadding or cotton tissues have been the principal substances which,
when impregnated with antiseptic products such as carbolic or salicylic acid,
iodoform, corrosive sublimate or the like, have been employed as antiseptic surgical
dressings.
Dressings thus prepared being only obtainable at a very high price, cheaper
material such as peat-dust, asbes, sand and similar substances have been tried for
the same purpose and impregnated with the above-mentioned chemicals, but they
have been found very deficient as antiseptics, being neither clean nor free from
dust; and, having to be used in very small pieces, they must be enclosed in bags,
which is not a suitable form for dressing wounds.

page_text: According to this invention a material, which serves as a vehicle for the anti-
septic liquids, is obtained from wood-chips, shavings, or cellulose, which material
has been found highly suitable for antiseptic surgical dressings. This material is
obtained as follows, that is to say:-Fresh wood-chips in rough pieces, or wood-
shavings in a slightly moist state just as obtained from the workshop, are reduced
to fragments or shreds by means of a machine and converted into loose and woolly
material.
The said machine consists of one or more rollers covered with pointed teeth, in
the same manner as the card-band of a cotton-spinning machine, and which,
rotating at a speed of from five to six metres per second, reduce the wood-chips or
shavings into fragments or shreds. By arranging bars of suitable material in
proximity to the said rollers in such a manner that the wood-chips or shavings
torn by these rollers shall be returned upon the same, the efficiency of this tearing
process is greatly increased, and after the wood-chips or shavings have been passed
several times through the rollers, a more or less loose fibrous preparation is
obtained which is forthwith desiccated and subsequently impregnated with
chemicals.
This impregnation is effected by spreading out the fibrous preparation in thin
layers and evenly or uniformly spraying upon it the liquid with which the said
fibrous preparation is to be impregnated, the whole mass being occasionally
thoroughly mixed. A highly suitable liquid for impregnating the above fibrous
preparation is obtained by dissolving corrosive sublimate in alcohol and adding
glycerine thereto, but other liquids will also answer the purpose such as carbolic
or salicylic acid, iodoform and the like.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me and the
manner of performing the same I wish it understood that I Claim:-
First. The method, substantially as herein before described, of preparing &
material for surgical dressings from wood-chips, wood-shavings or cellulose.
Second. The apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose
specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Eighth day of March in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
1442
STATITAART
GENAND WE
WENZESLAUS YUN
AT
IT NOA