Improvements relating to a Method of Destroying Microscopic Organisms for Disinfecting and other Purposes, and to Substances used therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1890.
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to a Method of Destroying Microscopic
Organisms for Disinfecting and other Purposes, and to Substances
used therefor.
I, Professor Dr. JACOB STILLING, of 1, Murnerstrasse, Strasburg, in the
Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows =
This invention relates to a method of destroying microscopic organisins for
disinfecting and other purposes, and to substances used therefor.
One of the most important problems which hygiene has to solve consists in
removing and rendering uninjurious or destroying the causes of disease which exist
in the surroundings of human beings, that is to say, providing for an effectual
disinfection.
Recent scientific investigations appear to establish that diseases can be traced in
a great measure to the presence of microscopic organisms.
Therefore the effectiveness of a disinfection depends essentially upon the
destruction or killing of such microscopic organisms.
Numerous attempts have been made to achieve such a disinfection of articles or
materials which are liable to be affected by microscopic organisms causing disease,
with the aid of chemicals that have a poisonous or destructive action upon the said
organisms. Such disinfectants, for instance carbolic acid and sublimate, present
however in their use a number of inconveniences. Among these may be mentioned
the extreme poisonousness of sublimate, which in the handling of this substance
is liable to endanger life; the unpleasant smell of carbolic acid; the colourlessness
of sublimate, rendering the proper use of the latter difficult of control; partly the
slight diffusibility, and the ready formation of precipitates so that the disinfectant
does not reach all the places where it shall act, and that the action often extends
only to the microscopic organisms existing on the outer surface, whilst those
underneath are exempt or are even thereby protected, as it were, from the action of
the disinfectant.
To obviate the aforesaid inconveniences in a simple manner constitutes the object
of my invention, which is based upon the observation that bacteria, bacilli and
cocci of any kind readily take up methyl-violet and auramine by diffusion. Such
microscopic organisms, as may be observed under the microscope, imbibe the said
colouring matters, similarly to sponge in such a manner that they will appear highly
coloured before the colour of the liquid in the microscopic preparation can be
recognized. It is further observed that as soon as the microscopic organisms are
intensely coloured there is a cessation of their swarming movements that is to say
the cell has perished.
Experiments have demonstrated that bacteria of putrefaction are altogether
unable to exist in a solution of methyl-violet or auramine in the proportion of
1 part in 2000. Other microscopic organisms are killed in much weaker solutions
of these colouring matters (even as weak as 1 part in 64000). The action of
enzymes or ferments, such as the diastatic ferment is retarded by such a solution
of colouring matter having a strength in the proportion of 1 part in 4000 whilst
solutions in the proportion of 1 part in 2000 or 1 part in 1000, and of still greater
strength will completely annul the action of the ferments.
These observations, which have been made in the course of numerous experiments,
ed to my invention, which consists essentially in disinfecting articles or materials
or freeing them from microscopic organisms or ferments, or from the action of the
same-(preventing putrefaction, fermentation, or the formation of mould) by the

page_text: employment of methyl-violet or auramine, so that neither danger of poisoning nor
an unpleasant smell of the disinfecting substance need be apprehended, and that at
any time it can be ascertained by inspection whether the disinfection has taken
place at all requisite points, which in this case must appear coloured. If the
articles, or materials which are to be protected from putrefaction, fermentation,
from the action of microscopic organisms or ferments, or which are to be freed
from the same, form solids, they are wetted or soaked with a solution of methyl-
violet or auramine, which may be of the strength of about 1 part in 1000, and if
they form liquids, they are mixed with a suitable quantity of such colouring
matters. The colouring matter can also be used in the form of a powder, more
especially if injurious microscopic organisms or ferments are to be destroyed in
moist places.
In cases where it is desirable to entirely obviate the employment of an antiseptic,
disinfecting substance that is poisonous or contains poison, care must be exercised
to use methyl-violet or auramine which is completely free from arsenic.
According to the experiments made these colouring matters can, without
endangering the life of men or animals, also be used in medicine for antiseptic
purposes, for killing cocci of ulcer, bacilli of suppurating or wasting milt and other
microscopic organisms, that exist on or in the bodies of men and animals and
transmit diseases. Their use as antiseptic substances for medicinal purposes
produces most surprising effects, a great advantage being also that owing to the
colour of the antiseptic substances the places treated can be immediately recognized.
Thus it is possible to instantly destroy by this means ulcers in the human body.
For such medicinal purposes the methyl-violet and auramine are used in the form
of a solution (for washing for subcutaneous injection), an ointment, a lozenge, a
powder, or applied to wadding or gauze of bandages, silk, and the like. When
these colouring matters which I term pyoctanin are to be used as antiseptic
substances special care must be taken to apply them in a pure state and entirely
free from arsenic and phenol.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to a Method of Destroying Microscopic
Organisms for Disinfecting and other Purposes, and to Substances
used therefor.
1, Professor Dr. JACOB STILLING, of 1, Murnerstrasse, Strasburg, in the
Empire of Germany, 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 :-
This invention relates to a method of destroying microscopic organisms for
disinfecting and other purposes, and to substances used therefor.
One of the most important problems which hygiene has to solve consists in
removing and rendering uninjurious or destroying the causes of disease which exist
in the surroundings of human beings, that is to say providing for an effectual
disinfection.
Recent-scientific investigations appear to confirm the idea that diseases can be
traced in a great measure to the presence of microscopic organisms.
The effectiveness of a disinfection therefore depends essentially upon the
destruction or killing of such microscopic organisms.
Numerous attempts have been made to achieve such a disinfection of articles or
materials which are liable to be affected by microscopic organisms causing disease
with the aid of chemicals that have a poisonous or destructive action upon the said
organisms. Such disinfectants, for instance carbolic acid and sublimate, present

page_text: however in their use a number of inconveniences. Among these may be mentioned
the extreme poisonousness of sublimate, which in the handling of this substance is
liable to endanger life; the unpleasant smell of carbolic acid; the colourlessness of
sublimate, rendering the proper use of the latter difficult of control; partly the
slight diffusibility, and the ready formation of precipitates so that the disinfectant
does not reach all the places where it is intended to act, and that the action often
extends only to the microscopic organisins existing on the outer surface, whilst
those underneath are exempt or are even thereby protected, as it were, from the
action of the disinfectant.
To obviate the aforesaid inconveniences in a simple manner constitutes the object
of my invention, which is based upon the observation that bacteria, bacilli and
cocci of any kind readily take up aniline dyestuffs e.g. methyl-violet ethyl-violet,
hexa-ethylrosaniline and auramine, by diffusion. Such microscopic organisms, as
may be observed under the microscope, imbibe the said colouring matters, similarly
to sponges, in such a manner that they will appear highly coloured before the
colour of the liquid in the microscopic preparation can be recognised. It is further
observed that as soon as the microscopic organisms are intensely coloured there is a
cessation of their swarming movements that is to say the cell has perished.
It has been shown by experiments that bacteria of putrefaction are altogether
unable to exist in a solution of aniline dyestuff e.g. of methyl-violet ethyl-violet
or auramine in the proportion of 1 part in 2000. Other microscopic organisms are
killed in much weaker solutions of these colouring matters (even as weak as 1 part
in 64000). The action of enzymes or ferments, such as the diastatic ferment is
retarded by such a solution of colouring matter having the strength in the pro-
portion of 1 part in 4000, whilst solutions in the proportion of 1 part in 2000 or
1 part in 1000, and of still greater strength will completely annul the action of the
ferments.
These observations, which have been made in the course of numerous experiments,
led to the present invention, which consists essentially in disinfecting articles or
materials, or freeing them from microscopic organisms or ferments, or from the
action of the same-preventing putrefaction, fermentation, or the formation of
mould by the employment of aniline dyestuffs, preferably methyl-violet, ethyl-
violet (hexa-ethylrosaniline) or auramine, so that neither danger of poisoning nor
an unpleasant smell of the disinfecting substance need be apprehended, and that at
any time it can be ascertained by inspection whether the disinfection has taken
place at all requisite points, which in this case must appear coloured. If the
articles, or materials which are to be protected from putrefaction, fermentation,
from the action of microscopic organisms or ferments, or which are to be freed from
the same, form solids, they are wetted or soaked with a solution of aniline dyestuff's,
e.g. methyl-violet ethyl-violet or auramine, which may be of the strength of about
part in 1000, and if they form liquids, they are mixed with a suitable quantity of
such colouring matters. The colouring matter can also be used in the form of a
powder, more especially if injurious microscopic organisms or ferments are to be
destroyed in moist places.
In cases where it is desirable to entirely obviate the employment of an antiseptic,
disinfecting substance that is poisonous or contains poison, care must be exercised
to use such aniline dyestuffs which are completely free from arsenic.
According to the experiments made these colouring matters preferably methyl-
violet, ethyl-violet or auramine can, without endangering the life of men or animals
also be used in medicine for antiseptic purposes, for killing cocci of ulcer, bacilli of
suppurating or wasting milt and other microscopic organisms, that exist on or in
the bodies of men and animals and transmit diseases. The use as antiseptic
substances for medicinal purposes produces most surprising effects a great advantage
being also that owing to the colour of the antiseptic substances the places treated
can be immediately recognized. Thus it is possible to instantly destroy by this
means ulcers in the human body. For such medicinal purposes such aniline dye-
stuffs, preferably the methyl-violet ethyl-violet and auramine are used in the form

page_text: of a solution (for washing, for subcutaneous, injection), an ointment, a lozenge, a
powder or applied to wadding or gauze of bandages, silk, and the like. When
these colouring matters, which I term pyoctanine, are to be used as antiseptic
substances special care must be taken to apply them in a pure state and entirely
free from arsenic and phenol.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First. The method of disinfecting articles, or materials, and preventing putre-
faction, fermentation, formation of mould, the action of microscopic organisms
and ferments, or destroying these organisms or ferments, characterized by the
treatment of the said articles or materials with aniline dyestuffs preferably methyl-
violet ethyl-violet or auramine.
Second. As a disinfecting and antiseptic substance or agent an aniline dyestuff
preferably methyl-violet ethyl-violet (hexa-ethylrosaniline) or auramine.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.