Process and Means or Appliances for Preparing in Private Households a Carbonic Acid Salt Bath in a Tub, Hip, or other Bath.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Means or Appliances for Preparing in Private Households
a Carbonic Acid Salt Bath in a Tub, Hip, or other Bath.
I, JULIUS QUAGLIO, Chief Engineer, of 67 Holzmarktstrasse, Berlin, 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 :-
t
The taking of carbonic acid salt baths at bathing establishments has serious
drawbacks for bathers, who have to walk back home from such establishments,
situated sometimes at a long distance from their homes, and are thus constantly
exposed to take cold either in bad weather, or when the temperature is low, owing
to the skin being in a highly sensitive state in consequence of the action of the
bath. These drawbacks would obviously be remedied if bathers were able to have
such a bath at their own homes.
The preparation of a carbonic acid salt bath is, according to my invention,
carried out in the following manner:-1 dissolve in the bath filled with water
having the desired temperature, a weighed up quantity of carbonate or bicarbonate
of soda, adding afterwards in the water of the bath as much hydrochloric acid, or its
equivalent, as is required to neutralize the salt, this operation being effected gradually
throughout the whole duration of the bath, in such a manner as to prevent the formation
of hydrochloric acid fumes below the surface of the water in the bath. In this way,
the carbonic acid gas is disengaged uniformly throughout the whole volume of
water in the bath, and is thickly laid in the form of bubbles all over the surface of
the body of the bather, as it should take place in a proper carbonic acid bath if
it is desired that the latter should act efficiently. If, for instance, 600 grammes of
bicarbonate of soda are dissolved in the water, and 1000 grammes of hydrochloric
acid of a specific gravity of 1,125 are added, there will be disengaged about 162000
cubic centimetres of carbonic acid gas, or in bubbles of 1 cubic millimetres in size
162,000,000 bubbles, enough to cover a surface of 162 square metres. At the same
time there are produced 417,85 grammes of chloride of sodium (common salt) in
solution, thus forming a salt carbonic acid bath of the highest efficiency.
The object of this invention is therefore to gradually add the hydrochloric
acid, or its equivalent to the bath independently of any maneuvering, or manipu-
lation on the part of the bather, and to uniformly distribute the same throughout
the whole of the water of the bath, and during the whole time the bath is being
used.
The employment of a drip bottle is excluded, as the dripping of the hydro-
chloric acid through the air would disengage fumes which would be injurious to
respiration. If a bottle with open mouth is placed in the bath so that its mouth is
covered by the water, there occurs a diffusion between the hydrochloric acid and
the water of the bath, but it is an irregular and incomplete action, and even after
hours, undecomposed hydrochloric acid remains in the bottle; the same phenomenon
takes place when the bottle is placed mouth downwards. The regular emptying of
the hydrochloric acid, that is to say, the supply of a given quantity of acid during a
given time, can only take place with a bottle, or vessel which is open at the bottom,
as well as at the top.
In carrying this invention into practice, I use a glass vessel of the form shown
in Figure 1. This vessel a has a mouth b closed by a stopper c at the top, and is
provided with a tubular extension d at the bottom. This extension communicates
with the bottle by means of an opening e the diameter of which is so calculated,
that the whole of the hydrochloric acid contained in the vessel a will run out into
the water in a given time. The bather takes with him in the bath, the vessel which

page_text: is closed at the top and at the bottom, he places the bottle upon the bottom of the
bath containing the water wherein carbonate or bicarbonate of soda has been
dissolved, and then removes the two stoppers c, f, from the mouth of the vessel, and
that of its tubular extension respectively, see Figure 2 whereupon the carbonic
acid gas is forthwith evolved, and the formation of common salt proceeds and
continues until the bath comes to an end. As a rule, the lower opening is calculated
in such a manner that the outflow of the hydrochloric acid stops after a lapse of ten
minutes, as even should the bath be required to last longer, the body would be
covered by that time with a sufficient layer of carbonic acid gas bubbles and the
bath contain sufficient carbonic acid.
To allow doctors to make experiments with baths lasting different lengths of time,
the vessel is constructed in such a manner that even the duration of the outflow of
acid can be regulated. For this purpose, I use the bottle neck, shown in Figure 3,
which is provided with several holes or openings g, g, of various diameters while a
vertical groove is formed in the stopper c. When the latter is turned to one side,
so that the groove is situated between two holes or openings, the vessel is closed;
while at the same time, the tubular extension at the bottom, which is furnished in
this case with one more opening, is likewise closed. The bather therefore need only
turn the stopper to one side to such an extent that its groove coincides with the
opening in the neck which corresponds to the number of minutes required; then he
takes the bottle in the bath with him and withdraws the lower stopper, where-
upon the gradual emptying of the acid will proceed and be completed in the time
indicated. This arrangement may also be applied to the lower tubular extension;
and instead of providing the movable stopper with a groove, it may be also used
with a hole of suitable diameter.
The vessel above described may be made of glass, or other material which is
unattackable by hydrochloric acid, and may have any desirable form or shape,
and instead of one, it may have several openings at the top as well as at
the bottom.
A very practical arrangement is shown in Figure 4, wherein the vessel a having
an outlet at the bottom is placed above the bath and the acid is allowed to run
through an india rubber tube, or a hose ; under the level of the water.
The regulation of the flow of acid may be effected, as in Figure 3, above referred
to through the inflow of air, or by means of a tap or cock, or by means of an
opening of suitable size adapted to, or formed in the lower tubular extension, or the
india rubber tube, or hose. It would also answer the purpose very well to empty
the whole of a vessel containing the required quantity of acid by means of a
syphon, Figure 5, an india rubber tube being likewise used in this case.
height at which the vessel is to be placed above the bottom of the bath would
obviously have to he determined in advance.
The
It is further obvious that according to requirements other salts or ingredients
may be mixed with the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A process and means, or appliances, hereinbefore described, for the preparation
of salt carbonic acid baths in such a manner that when bicarbonate or carbonate of
soda is added to the water of the bath, the required quantity or equivalent of
hydrochloric acid is allowed to mix in a given time below the surface of such water,
as set forth.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Julius Quaglio.