AN IMPROVED ANESTHETIC COMPOUND
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED ANESTHETIC COMPOUND." A communication from abroad
by Thomas Alva Edison, of Menlo Park, New Jersey, United States of
America.
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED ANESTHETIC COMPOUND." [A
communication from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison, of Menlo Park, New Jersey,
United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide means for producing anæsthetic effects
upon the nerves by external application for obtaining relief from pain until nature
or medicines may effect a cure.
The said Invention consists, first, in providing a compound comprising a number
of the most powerful chemical substances which act anaesthetically and which have
no effect upon each other.
It further consists in combining with such compound various menstruums for
dissolving the said substances, which menstruums shall have no chemical action
upon each other or upon the said substances other than to effect their solution.
The object of placing in one compound all of the most powerful chemical com-
pounds which act anaesthetically is to ensure that if one does not act the others
may, as it is well known that a certain anæesthetic may in one case produce the
effect, but in another case will not produce anæsthesia, while an inferior anæsthetic
will produce an anesthesia.
In addition it is believed from the surprising effects of this preparation when
compounded according to the formula given below, that in some way the action of
one anæsthetic quickens the action of the others.
The ingredients which I use in practising this Invention are hydrate of chloral,
chloroform, ether, nitrate of amyl, morphia, opium, camphor, alcohol, oil of

page_text: peppermint, salicylic acid, and oil of cloves. The alcohol, ether, and chloroform
act anesthetically as well as being menstruums for dissolving the other ingredients.
The preferable proportions are as follows, that is to say
1 oz. of hydrate of chloral, 4 ozs. of alcohol, 2 ozs. of chloroform, 2 ozs. of
camphor, 2 minims of oil of peppermint, 2 minims of oil of cloves, 3 pennyweights
of salicylic acid, 3 pennyweights of nitrate amyl, 2 pennyweights of morphia
sulphate, 2 ozs. of ether.
But the proportions may be varied, and more of one substance and less of the
others may be used; the amount of the different substances should be such that
the menstruums will dissolve them. Other anæsthetics may be added to this com-
bination, or one or more of those mentioned may be dispensed with, but to meet all
of the various conditions of the human nerves it is better for the compound to
contain all of the most powerful anæsthetics, to the end that should one, two, or
three, or more fail to act while applied separately, there must be one or more
among the whole which will produce relief, especially when they are commingled
and applied together.
This preparation is designed for external application only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th August 1880.
A
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED ANESTHETIC COMPOUND."
communication from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison, of Menlo Park, New Jersey,
United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to produce anæsthetic effects upon the nerves
by external application to obtain relief from pain until nature or medicine may
effect a cure.
The said Invention consists, first, in a compound of a number of the most
powerful chemical substances which act anæsthetically and which have no effect
upon each other.
If further consists in placing in such compound various menstruums for dissolving
the said substances, which menstruums shall have no chemical action upon each
other or upon the said substances other than to effect their solution.
The object of placing in one compound all of the most powerful chemical
compounds which act anaesthetically, is to ensure the action of one of them, that is to
say, , if one does not act the others may, as it is well known that a certain anæsthetic
may in one case produce the desired effect, but in another case will not produce
anesthesia, while an inferior anæsthetic will produce anæsthesia.
Furthermore, it is believed from the surprising effects of this preparation when
compounded according to the formula given below, that in some manner the action
of one anesthetic quickens the action of the others.
The ingredients which I use are hydrate of chloral, chloroform, ether, nitrate of
amyl, morphia, camphor, alcohol, oil of peppermint, salicylic acid, and oil of cloves.
The alcohol, ether, and chloroform act anaesthetically, and also as menstruums for
dissolving the other ingredients.
The proportions I prefer to use are as follow, that is to say:-One ounce of
hydrate of chloral, four ounces of alcohol, two ounces of chloroform, two ounces of
camphor, two minims of oil of peppermint, two minims of oil of cloves, three
penny weights of salicylic acid, three pennyweights of nitrate amyl, two pennyweights
of morphia sulphate, two ounces of ether.
But these proportions may be varied, and more of one substance and less of the
others may be used; the amount of the different substances should be such that
the menstruums will dissolve them. Other anesthetics may be added to this
combination, or one or more of those mentioned may be dispensed with, but to
meet all of the various conditions of the human nerves it is better that the
compound should contain all of the most powerful anesthetics, to the end that
should one, two, three, or more fail to act while applied separately, there must
be one or more among the whole which will produce relief, especially when they
are commingled and applied together.
I prefer menstruums which are also anæsthetics, but other menstruums will serve
the purpose of this Invention provided they do not combine chemically with the
other ingredients used.
This preparation is designed for external application only.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
The medicinal preparation compounded substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TIM DODT TATT
Gal
WM ROBT
DT
TATT
LAD
(L.S.)