An Improvement in Capsules or Envelopes for Medicinal Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Capsules or Envelopes for Medicinal Purposes.
I, CHARLES CORNU, of 41, Rue de Vanves, Paris, France, Manufacturer of
Medicinal Capsules, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in capsules or envelopes for medicinal
purposes.
The objections to the ordinary capsules or envelopes of glutinous material,
employed in pharmacy for the purpose of enabling nauseous medicines to be
swallowed without repugnance, are:-that, if exposed to the air in a dry place,
they become hard and brittle and if, on the contrary, they are kept in a cool place
they are liable to become mouldy, so that, in either case, the purpose for which the
capsule is employed is frustrated, and the medicament, becoming exposed to the air,
loses much of its virtue.
The object of my invention is to provide a glutinous capsule, which, while
retaining its suppleness, will not be liable to become mouldy, thus enabling the
medicament to be kept for an indefinite time in a condition to be administered.
The improved capsule is prepared in the following manner :-A mixture is first
made of glycerine and alcohol in the proportion of about two-third parts, by weight,
of alcohol to one-third part of glycerine. The medicament, in a solid form to be
capsuled, is repeatedly dipped alternately in the above mixture and in gluten, the
superposition of the films of the respective substances forming a capsule which will
always retain its suppleness owing to the peculiar property of the glycerine entering
into its composition, the alcohol which is imprisoned between the alternate layers
serving as an antiseptic and ensuring the indefinite preservation of the gluten.
Dated this 26th day of September 1890.
C. CORNU.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Capsules or Envelopes for Medicinal Purposes.
I, CHARLES CORNU of 41, Rue de Vanves, Paris, France, Manufacturer of
Medicinal Capsules, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The objections to the ordinary gelatine capsules employed for administering
pharmaceutical products are that the gelatine is liable to crack before the capsule
reaches the organs upon which the medicament is to act, is unsuited for enveloping
salts or acids, and is also non-assimilable.
The object of my invention is to obviate these disadvantages by making the
capsule mainly of gluten or coating it exteriorly therewith. Gluten being one of
the essential elements of nutrition will be assimilated along with the medicament.
If the capsule is to contain oily medicaments it is made in the following manner;
A mandrel or core usually of tin, of the intended form of the capsule, is dipped into
a liquid composed of one third part by weight of glycerine and two third parts of
water, with the addition of sufficient gluten in powder and after the coating is dry,
the operation is repeated and so on several times until a sufficiently thick film of
glycerine and gluten is formed.
D

page_text: When the capsule is to contain salts or acids, the liquid is preferably composed of
one third glycerine and two thirds alcohol, sufficient gluten being added to the liquid
as before. The alcohol has the property of preventing the gluten from becoming
mouldy, while the glycerine imparts to the capsule the suppleness and elasticity
requisite for detaching the films from the mandrel or core.
The capsule may also be formed of a first layer of pure gelatine covered with
several layers of gluten, in which case it is preferable to previously lubricate the
mandrel in order to facilitate the removal of the capsule.
The capsule thus made is filled with the pharmaceutical product and then closed
by slightly moistening the orifice and covering it with a small quantity of powdered
gluten or with gelatine.
It will be evident that these gluten capsules may be applied to products
of various forms and dimensions and the right is reserved of manufacturing
envelopes generally for preserving matters from contact with air and for other
purposes.
Instead of making the capsules in one piece they may be made of two pieces
united by pressure in the usual manner in which case a smooth metal or other plate
of suitable dimensions is first coated by means of a sponge or brush with the liquid
above mentioned and this layer is then brushed over with gluten which is allowed
to set for about five or six minutes after which the operation is repeated until a
film of sufficient thickness is obtained. It is then placed in a stove and subjected
to a temperature of from about 30° to 40° C. for from five to six hours after which
the film is detached from the plate and cut in halves so as to obtain two pieces of
equal thickness between which the product to be enveloped is placed, the pieces
being united and formed into a capsule in the usual manner of making capsules by
pressure. As in the first described mode of manufacture, if the capsule is to
contain oily matters the liquid is composed of one third glycerine and two thirds
water to which gluten in powder is added and if the capsule is to contain salts or
acids it is composed of one third glycerine and two thirds alcohol with the addition
of gluten as before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The manufacture of medicinal capsules composed mainly of gluten, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes specified.