Preparation and Application of
Year: 1885

page_text: Preparation and Application of Improved Hygienic and Disin-
fecting Substances, for Use as Candles, Night-lights; Tapers,
Lamp Oil, and such like, or as External Remedies.
We, EDWIN BURGES WATSON, Financier, Yokohama, Japan, presently residing at
Cape House, Coolhurst Road, Crouch End, London N., and HENRY BROCK FULTON,
Fellow of the Chemical Society of 42 Claverton Street, Pimlico, London S.W.
both in the county of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention
for "PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF IMPROVED HYGIENIC AND DISINFECTING
SUBSTANCES, FOR USE AS CANDLES, NIGHT-LIGHTS, TAPERS, LAMP OIL AND. SUCH
LIKE, OR AS EXTERNAL REMEDIES," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of candles, night-lights, tapers, and
such like, as well as to the preparation of oil, which in burning, will give off to
the atmosphere, vapours of a salutory and disinfecting nature, and to the use of
these as external remedies in certain cases.
Such articles as bave hitherto been proposed as hygienic or disinfecting candles
or oil, have been, for the most part, prepared by mixing up with the wax, or fat,
or by dissolving in the oil for burning-certain organic or other compound
substances, which, however efficient they may be as hygienics or as disinfectants,
in their original state, are, by passing through the flame, so burned up and
decomposed, as to retain no longer their original virtue.
In our invention, we do not employ any compound as a hygienic or disinfecting
material, but we restrict ourselves to the use of simple, and elementary substances
which cannot be further broken up.
We employ Bromine, or preferably Iodine, simply and alone, and we avail
ourselves of the well known solubility of these in paraffin, petroleum, and other
spirits, oils, and fats, particularly those of mineral origin.
By employing hydrocarbons, holding in solution, or in suspension, either of
these substances, as sources of light, we obtain, in apartments where such candles
or such oil is consumed, a healthy, ozonised, and nerve soothing atmosphere.
For general use for hygienic purposes, and more especially for hospitals and sick
rooms, an efficient candle, night-light, or taper, may be prepared by dissolving in
every 50 lbs of the melted paraffin or other wax of which the artiole is to be made,

page_text: 1 ounce of Sublimed Iodine; or an efficient lamp oil may be prepared, by
dissolving in the paraffin, petroleum, or other oil for use,-1 ounce of Sublimed
Iodine, for every 7 or 10 gallons of oil.
We do not however restrict ourselves to these, or to any definite proportions,
and, as an example, for fumigating foul chambers, we may employ materials
containing as much as ten times the specified quantity of Iodine or Bromine, which,
for such purposes may be consumed as pastilles.
For every day use however, the less powerful preparations will be sufficient, and
the efficiency may be regulated by increasing or decreasing the number of lights.
As an alternative method of preparing these substances as candles and such like,
we sometimes prefer to saturate the wick with which the candles or such like, aro
to be made, with a solution of Iodine or Bromine, and, after drying it, we proceed
with the preparation of the candles, and such like, in the usual way, employing
any suitable kind of wax or fat, and, not necessarily one of mineral origin.
Furthermore, we find that for the treatment of cutaneous diseases, or for the
reduction of swelling-glandular or otherwise, mineral oils and spirits and paraffin
wax, as prepared by our process, form an improved means of applying Iodine to
the affected part.
For such purpose, still more concentrated solutions or preparations may be
employed, than when the vapour is, by burning in a candle or lamp, to be diffused
through the atmosphere.
For application in lieu of "Tincture of Iodine," the solution of Iodine in paraffin
or petroleum oil or spirit, may be painted on the affected part; or the solid paraffin
or other wax, holding the Iodine in minute diffusion, may be cut out as a plaster,
and may be applied directly as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
The preparation and application of Hygienic and Disinfecting substances, for
use as Candles, Night-lights, tapers, lamp oil, and such like, or as external remedies,
as is herein before described and set forth.