IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphe Hugentobler, of No. 43, Saint James' Road,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT,"
Sealed the 30th August 1878, and dated the 5th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolpho Hugentobler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1878.
ADOLPHE HUGENTOBLER, of No. 43, Saint James' Road, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the preservation of meat. For
this purpose, fresh meat boned and cut up in joints weighing from four to five pounds
each, is barrelled by layers with a pickle composed of one part of acetate of soda
and one part of distilled or rain water, to which pickle an addition of acetate of
soda is made in the following proportion:-For each one hundred pounds (100 lbs.)
of meat barrelled with forty pounds of pickle, twenty pounds of acetate of soda,
equally divided and distributed among the different layers, must be added.
When the meat is required for use each joint is washed and soaked during twenty
hours in double its weight of warm water, so as completely to immerge it in such a
bath; after that time the same is placed in a saucepan and cooked as fresh meat,
with this difference only however, that one ounce of soda in crystals must be dis-
solved first in the water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alolphe Hugentobler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1879.
ADOLPHE HUGENTOBLER, of No. 43, Saint James' Road, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT."
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, dated the 20th December
1871, was described a process for the preservation of fresh meat by means of acetato
of soda. In this process the meat, after being previously prepared by being covered
with acetate of soda for about two days, was placed into barrels and completely
immersed in a pickle composed of one part of acetato of soda to three parts of
water. Fresh meat prepared by the above process in temperate climates, or at a
time when the temperature was low, and not afterwards exposed to high tempera-
tures, would remain sweet for a considerable length of time. But with meat pre-
pared in hot climates the meat invariably became tainted, although not absolutely
putrid, and on this account the process was comparatively worthless.
After many researches, extending over nearly seven years, it has been found that
complete success can be obtained by the following process:-Fresh meat boned and
cut up into joints, weighing, say, from four to five pounds each, are placed into
barrels in layers, the interstices between the pieces of ineat in the layers being filled
in with a saturated solution of acetate of soda, to which is added a further quantity
of acetate of soda in powder.
A small quantity of the acetate of soda solution is first filled into the bottom of
the barrel, and powdered acetate of soda thrown in. Next, a layer of meat is
packed closely into the bottom of the barrel. Afterwards the layer of meat is
covered with the acetate of soda solution, and a further quantity of acetate of soda
in powder thrown in. Another layer of meat is then packed in and immersed in
the same manner until the barrel becomes completely filled, always adding on the
top of the last layer of meat an additional quantity of acotate of soda solution and
powdered acetate of soda.
The solution of acetate of soda forming the pickle is composed of one part of
acetate of soda to one part of water. For each one hundred pounds of meat
barrelled forty pounds of the pickle will be required, and with this should be used
twenty pounds of the dry acetate of soda.
By the above means 1 ensure that the incat shall always be immersed in a suffi-
ciently saturated solution of the acctate of soda, for as the solution becoines
weakened by water contained in the juices of the meat mingling with the solution,
a further quantity of the acetate of soda is dissolved, and so the solution remains
always properly saturated.
When the neat is required for use each joint should be washed and soaked for
about twenty hours in a sufficient quantity of warm water to keep the joint com-
pletely immersed. The meat may afterwards be placed in a saucepan and boiled,
just as though it were fresh meat; a very small quantity of soda in crystals should,
however, be first dissolved in the water, say, about one ounce per joint.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the improvements in the preser-
vation of meat, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphe Hugentobler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.