IMPROVEMENTS IN RECOVERING USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM THE WATER USED IN WASHING AND IN TREATING WOOL, WOOLLEN, AND COTTON FABRICS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MoDOUGALL, of Longsight, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twentieth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the twelfth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander McDougall, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Alexander M Dougall,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alexander
M'Dougall, my exors, admñňors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RECOVERING USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM THE WATER USED IN
WASHING AND IN TREATING WOOL, WOOLLEN, AND COTTON FABRICS AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I
the said Alexander McDougall, should cause particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander McDougall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of employing alkaline earths, or salts of the alkaline
earths, or salts of the metallic oxides, to precipitate from their solution in
water the potash and soda soaps in common use.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
I take a salt of an alkaline earth which I add to the solution of soap; the
fatty acid of the soap combines with the earthy base, and forms an insoluble
compound, which subsides in the solution now containing the alkali of the soap
in combination with the acid of the alkaline earth. The salt I prefer is
muriate of lime (known to chemists as chloride of calcium), which I add to
the soapy water so long as a precipitate is formed. After the subsidence of
the precipitate I decant or syphou off the supernatent liquor, and throw the
precipitate upon filters of woollen cloth to drain away part of the water, and I
separate the remaining water by means of the hydro-extractor, lined with
woollen cloth. The product I thus obtain is a soap of lime mixed with any
insoluble impurity which may have existed in the soapy water operated upon.
I separate the fatty acids from this product by the use of mineral acids, as is
well understood by candle makers. The acid I prefer for this purpose is
muriatic acid, by which I obtain muriate of lime to operate upon a fresh
quantity of soapy water.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that although
I have described the exact process as pursued by me, I do not confine myself
thereto, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained; nor do
I confine myself to the use of the salt and the acid mentioned, as others may
be used in carrying out my Invention, but I believe not with so much advan-
tage. What I claim are, the means herein described of recovering useful
products from the water used in washing and in treating wool, woollen, and
cotton fabrics and other substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander M Dougall, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
my
ALEXANDER (L.S.) MCDOUGALL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid Alexander M°Dougall came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.