A NEW WAY AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING OR MAKING, A VAPOUR BATH OR VESSEL OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND SHAPES, BY UNITING THERETO AND USING THEREWITH A CERTAIN MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENT OR MACHINE CALLED, AN, AIR PUMP OR EXHAUSTER, FOR CURING, HEALING, AND RELIEVING PERSONS, AFFLICTED WITH THE GOUT, PUTRID AND INFLAMATORY SORES OF VARIOUS KINDS, WITH WHICH THE HUMAN BODY MAY BE APPECTED
Year: 1798

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHAN
SMITH, of Brighthelmestone, in the County of Sussex, Gentleman, send
greeting..
WHEREAS His most Gracious Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twentieth day of November, in the thirty-ninth year
of His reign, after reciting therein (amongst other things) that I, the
said Nathan Smith, had, by my Petition, humbly represented to. Him
that I had, after much trouble, labour, and expence, found out and
invented "A NEW WAY AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING OR MAKING, A VAPOUR
BATH OR VESSEL OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND SHAPES, BY UNITING THERETO AND USING
THEREWITH A CERTAIN MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENT OR MACHINE CALLED, AN, AIR
PUMP OR EXHAUSTER, FOR CURING, HEALING, AND RELIEVING PERSONS, AFFLICTED
WITH THE GOUT, PUTRID AND INFLAMATORY SORES OF VARIOUS KINDS, WITH WHICH
THE HUMAN BODY MAY BE APPECTED," and was the first and sole Inventor thereof,
did grant licence that I, the said Nathan Smith, my exors, admors, and assigns,
during the term of years. therein expressed, should and. lawfully.might make,
usé, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and.the.Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed; my said Invention within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed; in which said. Letters. Patent there is contained a
proviso that if. I, the said Nathan Smith, should not, within one calendar
month next and immediately after the date of the said. Letters Patent,
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within one calendar month next immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent, that then the same should determine and be void.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Nathan Smith, in compliance with and
in pursuance of the said proviso in the said in part recited Letters Patent
contained, by this Instrument in writing under my hand and seal, do ascertain
and particularly describe the nature of my said Invention in the said Letters
Patent mentioned, and how the same is to be performed, and declare the same
to be in manner following, that is to say :-
I make or cause to be made a bath or vessel commonly called a vapour
bath, of wood, iron, copper, brass, tiu, lead, or other metal or substance, and
of various or different forms, shapes, and sizes, suitable and adapted to receive
and enclose the whole human body, or any particular part or parts thereof,
such as the legs or feet, arms or hands; also a vessel or boiler for heating or
boiling of water and other liquids; and a pipe or conductor, made of iron,
copper, brass, tin, lead, or other metal, through which the vapour or steam is
to pass and be conducted from the boiler to the bath, with one end thereof
in or annexed, fixed, or fastened to the said boiler, and the other end in or
annexed, fixed, or fastened to the said bath, and a stop-cock therein or in the
bath or boiler, and a lamp or fire under the said boiler or vessel; and into or
unto such vapour bath or vessel I screw or otherwise annex, fix, or fasten an
instrument or machine commonly called an air pump. or exhauster, or two or
more of such instruments or machines, made of iron, copper, brass, tin, lead,
or other metal, as may be thought necessary and proper, or any other instru-
ment or machine that will pump and exhaust, extract, or.draw air out of a
vessel; and the vapour bath or vessel, and air pump or exhauster, when united,
fixed, or fastened together or otherwise annexed, to be used together as above
described, I denominate and call an air-pump vapour bath; and the uniting,
fixing, or fastening or otherwise annexing the same as aforesaid, and the using
and applying thereof, as after mentioned, for the curing, healing, or relieving
of persons afflicted with the gout, putrid and inflamatory sores, and other
complaints and diseases of like nature, being my sole Invention. "I further
describe and declare, that the body of the person afflicted, or any part or parts
thereof affected, being put. into the bath, and the bath being filled with
vapour or steam of a degree of heat nécessary and proper, from the boiler or
vessel so called, and the stop-cock being turned, I then work the air pump or
exhauster, and thereby. pump, exhaust, or draw out of the bath or vessel
any quantity of air, weight or pressure of the atmosphere, that I may think

page_text: necessary and proper for the curing, healing, or relieving the patient; and the
two operations of filling the bath or vessel, and pumping or exhausting the
air thereout, I repeat as often as I may think necessary and proper for the
curing, healing, or relieving of the patient, and either at one and the same
time or at different times, as need may be and require, and so on every person
and persons seeking to be cured, healed, or relieved by the use and means
of my said air pump vapour bath, made or to be made, used, and worked by
me as aforesaid. And I further describe and ascertain that the machine so
contrived as to hold that part of the body affected is first filled with steam or
vapour, and the external air or pressure of the atmosphere is then drawn out
of the vessel or machine, in a lesser or greater measure, as the patient can
bear it, to a half, a quarter, three fourths, or any other portion of the air
contained in the vessel, and as need may be and require, thus giving aid or
help to the elastic force and power of the internal air contained in the human
body to throw out and expel the matter which occasions the pain or hinders
the natural functions of the human frame; and this to be repeated each time
as often as necessary.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth
day of December, in the year of our Lord Que thousand seven hundred
and ninety-eight.
Inrolled the Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.