Improved Insect Destroyer and Manufacture of same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Improved Insect Destroyer and Manufacture of same.
A communication from abroad by Professor PIETRO LEONARDI, PIETRO ZEN, and
GUISEPPI SARDI, all of Venice, in the Kingdom of Italy.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.L.M.E of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
In order to obtain a protection from the insects called gnats, use has been hitherto
made of chrysanthemum, burnt into the form of a powder or made into cones or
cloves, prepared with saltpetre, chlorate of potash and adding thereto chamomile,
wood, sawdust, or even powdered charcoal. The combination of this mixture gives
off smoke, gases and empyreumatic products, among which there are, although
in small quantities, substances injurious to licalth, especially to persons affected
with inaladies of the respiratory organs. Besides that, the air of rooms is vitiated
thereby, and the products of combustion soil curtains and carpets.
Efforts have therefore been made to remove all these drawbacks, and, after numerous
experiments, the following process has been discovered.
By treating chrysanthemum with an alkali, or even simply with a solvent such as
alcohol, ether, essence of turpentine, benzine, paraffin, wax, olive oil, fatty substances,
or other suitable hydrocarbon, the active principle is extracted, yielding an insect
killer or entomophobe, which, according to the solvent used, acts by being simply
strewed about, or sprayed, by means of an atomizer, or even by the combustion
of the liquid or grease of wax, paraffin, stearine and the like, in the form of candles
or matches without causing any of the above described inconveniences.
This product is useful against many other insects besides gnats, such as bugs, fleas,
flies and the like.
In order to render the odour agreeable, any suitable perfume, or camphor, can
be added.
The following is the practical process for extracting or preparing the entomo-
phobe :-
A receiver, which can fulfil the function of the extension of an extracting apparatus,
is filled with chrysanthemum powder in the proportion of about 30 per cent., to which
is added from 15 to 20 per cent. of an alcoholic hydrate, potash, soda, lime, or
preferably ammonia.
This is allowed to digest during several hours with one of the solvents before
enumerated, such as ether, alcohol, benzine, essence of turpentine, or with any other
liquid or volatile carburet, and then the exhaustion is completed by means of heat.
When the solvent is solid, or an oil, it can be mixed with the liquid obtained by the
method described above, in which is contained all the active part, or even the mixture
of powder, treated as described above, can be digested in the same by means of heat.
Seeing that this active principle is very useful for the destruction of all kinds of
insects, experiments have also been made with those affecting plants, and the result
was very satisfactory, but, as the prices of alcohol and ether do not allow of its
being cheaply prepared, the chrysanthemum or pyrethrum can be treated with
an alkaline nitrate or even with liquid ammonia, adding thereto as much as is required
for moistening it completely. The exhaustion is afterwards completed by means of
water in an extracting apparatus, releasing the ammonia, firstly, by exposing the
liquid to the air, and, secondly, in a closed receptacle, to the action of sulphuric or
hydrochloric acid, or even by neutralising it directly by any suitable acid. The liquid
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page_text: thus obtained can be injected into the ground, if the insects in question live there, or
blown into the air or sprayed on plants, flowers, stalks, or trunks, if it is a question of
other insects.
Bugs, moths, wood and paper boring worms, etcetera can be destroyed (in addition
to the use of the atomizer or the brush) by means of pieces of card soaked in this
liquid and then dried.
Finally, by evaporating the liquid and mixing the residue with an explosive or
inflammable substance, as, for instance, any nitrate, capsules or cartridges for burning
can be formed therefrom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The herein described insect destroyer, formed by dissolving out or extracting the
essential principle of chrysanthemum or pyrethrum in the manner described, and the
utilization of the same by spreading or spraying the same about, or by burning
the combination thereof with a solvent or absorber in the form of candles, matches,
lamp fluids, or the like.
Dated this 27th day of October 1890
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.