THE MANUFACTURE ORA NEW MATERIAL TO BE HERD BAD EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Somerville Scott Alison, Doctor of Medicine,, of
Park Street, Grosvenor Square, for the Invention of "THE MANUFACTURE
ORA NEW MATERIAL TO BE HERD BAD EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE"
Sealed the 25th August 1854, and dated the 5th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Somerville Scott Alison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th June 1854.
I, SOMERVILLE SCOTT ALISON, Doctor of Medicine, of Park Street, Grosvenor
Square, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "THE MANU-
FACTURE OF A NEW MATERIAL TO BE USED FOR EXTERNAL APPLICATION'S IN
MEDICINE" to be as follows: -
This Invention consists of the use of lambskin and caoutchouc in the
manufacture of a new material or medium for external applications for medical
and surgical purposes, such as fomentations, water dressings, and in lieu of
poultices, and with the addition of irritants in place of blisters.
The outer surface of the skin is to be coated or covered with a solution of
caoutchouc, which prevents evaporation, while the inner surface imbibes any
fluid which may be intended to be applied externally to the human frame.
Although I claim especially the above manufacture, I do not limit myself to
the use of lambskins only, or to the use of caoutchouc only..

page_text: Secondly, this Invention consists of the use of a perforated skin (by pre-
ference lambskin), despensing with any waterproofing matter, the object being
to procure a medium for the evaporation of fluids where coolness and humidity
are required; useful also on the administration of aeriform fluids, such as ether,
chloroform, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Somerville Scott Alison in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SOMERVILLE
SCOTT ALISON, of Park Street, Grosvenor Square, Doctor of Medicine, send
greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Ier reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Somerville Scott Alison, Her special license that I, the said Somerville Scott
Alison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Somerville Scott Alison, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an "INVENTION FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A NEW MATERIAL TO BE USED
FOR EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Somerville Scott Alison, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Somerville Scott Alison, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This Invention has reference to the manufacture of a new material to be
used for water dressings for wounds, fomentations, and other external applica-
tions in medicine; and consists of the use of the skin of the lamb or other

page_text: animal, deprived of wool or other fibrous matters, and prepared according to
the process called chamois curing; then re-dressed, and afterwards rendered
impermeable to air and water on one surface, by the application of caoutchouc
or other similar adhesive matter, or simply perforated, as herein-after described.
The process of chamois, or, as it is sometimes called, shamoy curing, consists in
treating the inner skins of the lamb, kid, or other similar animals with oil,
which is applied by pressure, and afterwards removed by alkalies; and skins
so prepared are peculiarly soft, smooth, and absorbent. But instead of pre-
paring the skins by this process, I sometimes cure the skiver, or skin, by means
of salt and alum.
My Invention relates to two kinds of material, the one perforated and the
other impermeable; and the first part of my process consists in further cleansing
and softening the skin by means of soap and warm water; it is then dried,
and made soft, by rubbing with pumice stone. In this manner, impurities and
the remains of lime or other matters used in the curing of the skin aro
removed, and the fine texture is rendered looser, softer, more elastic, and more
fit to absorb and retain a larger body of liquid than before. Although I
generally use the inner skin only, when greater thickness is required, the entire
skin, composed of what are called the chamois and the skiver is used. The
chamois is perforated with holes of various sizes, at any distances apart, and in a
regular manner; this may be done by a punch, or any cutting instrument, or
by passing the skin through suitable rollers, as is obvious. This material is to
be used for cold liquid applications to the human body, or when heat is to be
reduced by evaporation. The lambskin absorbs a large quantity of liquid, is
very retentive, and when wet becomes soft, pulpy, and adhesive, and a good
conductor of heat. The perforations admit of the escape of vapour, and
consequently the heat of the part to which the application is made is reduced.
This perforated skin is cut into portions, applicable to the object desired;
thus, ice-bags for the head may be made of it, and a capsule for holding opium
or other solid drugs for administration in obstetric medicine is very useful,
from the fact that the agent dissolves and slowly makes its way through tho
perforations to act upon the parts, while from the softness of the capsule no
inconvenience is experienced by the patient. By this contrivance, the
medicine may be retained in the body sufficiently long to produce the desired
result, while otherwise it might be immediately rejected.
The second part of my Invention consists in rendering the chamois skin
impermeable on one surface, so that it may be used for water dressings,
fomentations, &c., as a plaister, or otherwise, when it is desired to afford a soft
wet surface to the parts to be treated, or to place a body of liquid or semi-

page_text: liquid medicine in immediate, uniform, and comfortable contact with the
external surface of the patient for a lengthened period at the temperature of
the body; or it may be used dry to retain the heat of the body, by preventing
the abstraction of heat by atmospheric influence, or by evaporation, and for
other purposes.
"The skin having been re-dressed and softened, as before
described, is rendered impermeable by applying a solution of caoutchouc - of
any colour or other water repellant material in such a manner as completely
to coat the outer or harder surface of the skin without penetrating. to the
inner and finer one, which would otherwise be injured, and its retentive and
adhesive properties destroyed; coats of these materials are applied in succes-
sion until the outer surface of the skin is rendered impermeable to air and
.water.
The solution I generally use is of the consistence of paste, and is applied by
means of rollers, but a thinner solution may be spread by means of a brush
or a spatula. The solvent of the india-rubber found the most useful is coal
tar naptha. The skin, when thus treated, is fit for use; but if it be desired to
have a covering of greater thickness than one ply for increasing heat or
moisture, a portion of the impermeable skin is taken, and there is laid upon it
a piece of prepared skin, and the two are joined together by means of some
adhesive material; in this way a third and fourth ply may be added. When
this impermeable material is intended to retain a considerable quantity of liquid,
the plies must be united at their ends or edges only, in order that the liquid
used may penetrate through the whole mass. To facilitate this permeation,
and to promote the drying and preservation of the material, perforations are
made in all the skins except the external one, which must remain impermeable.
Sometimes solid medicines may be placed between the plies, and occasionally
slips or wires are enclosed, to adapt the material to the shape of the part
treated, or to raise it from a very delicate surface, such as the eye. This
impermeable skin is also cut and formed to suit different parts of the body,
such as the forehead, the ore, and the female breast, and for a variety of similar
purposes. For the manufacture of plaisters it is peculiarly applicable, as it
permits of the plaister being used in a semi-liquid, and consequently more
efficacious state, for the impermeability of the outer surface prevents in a great
measure atmospheric action, which dries up .common plaisters. The imper-
meable skin may be used as described, or it may be covered on the outsido
with silk, calico, or other like material, secured by some adhesive matter for the
sake of ornament, or for imparting greater firmness to the application.
Although the impermeable skin is not ordinarily perforated, when it is desired
to lower the temperature of the body this may be done. When it is desired

page_text: to fasten firmly these prepared skins, I employ the outer skin, or skiver, washed
with water and the yolk of egg, and spread upon it some adhesive material,
such as gelatine or resinous plaister; and to make it waterproof I render it
impermeable by applying a coating of indin-rubber, or the like, or I saturate
it with boiled linseed oil. These thin waterproof skins are sometimes employed
to completely cover the plain prepared chamois skin and to retain its moisture;
for this purpose they answer better than oiled silk, on account of their greater
elasticity and flexibility. The oiled skin is suitable when oily applications are
made, for oils dissolve india-rubber. The plain skin covered with oiled skin is
applicable when much pus is present, for an excessive discharge of pus has a
tendency to injure the india-rubber.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the use of lamb or sheep skin, although
I prefer it, as other skins, such as kid, may be used for the same purpose; and
I am aware that a material made of sponge and wool combined is used for
fomentations, &c., which is essentially different from my Invention. And I
make no claim to the mode, herein-before described, of rendering one surface
of my preparation impermeable when used separately and apart from its
application to the skin of the lamb or other skin, prepared as herein-
before described. But what I claim and desire to secure by these Letters
Patent is, the manufacture of a new material for external applications in
medicine in the several modes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Somerville Scott Alison, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, 1854.
SOMERVILLE SCOTT ALISON, M.D. (L.s.)