Improvements in or relating to the Production of Sulphur Baths.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Production of Sulphur Baths.
We, EDWARD GEORGE BALLARD, of Newton Lane, Chester, in the County of
Chester, and DOUGLAS HERMAN, of Eccleston Park, Prescot, in the County of
Lancaster, Chemists, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention has reference to the production of a sulphur bath, of the highest
state of efficiency as a disinfectant and cure for skin diseases, in the ordinary
domestic bath, by generating therein a quantity of free nascent sulphur and
sulphurous acid gas by the action of bisulphate of soda or potash upon hypo-
sulphite of soda, either in the bath itself, or in a separate vessel or vessels, the
contents of which are afterwards mingled with the bath water.
The alkaline bisulphate being deliquescent, it is preferably enclosed in a lead
wrapper, the folds being made impervious to air and moisture by dipping in molten
paraffin or other wax. The hyposulphite may be put up in a similar manner or
wrapped in waxed or other paper.
The weights of the two salts are preferably adjusted so as to leave a slight excess
of hyposulphite when the reaction is completed, and for convenience and to prevent
the possibility of any mistake, the two packets are preferably enclosed in an
outer wrapper such as tinfoil or tinfoil paper.
When required for use, the two salts are dissolved separately in two vessels,
such as jugs or tumblers, in a little hot water or a larger quantity of cold water,
and the solutions mixed together and poured into the water of the bath, or they
may be mingled in the bath itself, the great dilution in the latter case causing the
sulphur to be precipitated in a finer state of division and thus facilitating ab-
sorption by the skin.
Alternatively the two salts may be placed in a vessel with a central division to
keep them separate, perforated at bottom and open at top, and suspended to the
tap supplying the bath in such a manner that the water flows through the vessel,
dissolving both the salts, the solutions mingling together as they flow into the
bath.
100%
Improvements in or relating to the Froduction of Sulphur Baths.
We, Edward George Ballard, of Newton Lane, Chester, in the County of
Chester, and DOUGLAS HERMAN, of Eccleston Park, Prescot, in the County of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: Lancaster, Chemists, 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 has for its object the production of a sulphur bath of the highest
state of efficiency as a disinfectant and cure for skin diseases. It can be used in
the ordinary domestic bath, by generating therein a quantity of free nascent
state of efficiency as a disinfectant and cure for skin diseases. It can be used in
sulphur and sulphurous acid gas by the action of bisulphate of an alkali metal,
the bath itself or in a separate vessel or vessels, the contents of which are after-
wards mingled with the bath. The alkaline bisulphate being deliquescent, it is
preferably enclosed in a lead wrapper, the folds being made impervious to air and
moisture by dipping in molten paraffin or other wax or by compression. The
hyposulphite may be put up in a similar manner or wrapped in waxed or other
paper. The weights of the two salts are preferably adjusted so as to leave a slight
excess of hyposulphite when the reaction is completed and for convenience and to
prevent the possibility of any mistake the two packets are preferably enclosed in
an outer wrapper such as tinfoil or other paper. When required for use in the
domestic bath, the two salts are dissolved separately in two vessels such as jugs
or tumblers in a little hot water or a larger quantity of cold water and the solutions
mixed together and poured into the water of the bath, or they may be mingled in
the bath itself. Alternatively the two salts may be placed in a vessel with a
central division to keep them separate, perforated at bottom and open at top, and
suspended to the tap supplying the bath in such a manner that the water flows
through the vessel, dissolving both the salts, the solutions mingling together as
they flow into the bath, or the salts can be placed in a small muslin bag either
with or without a division between the salts, and the nascent sulphur and sulphurous
acid find their way through the porous bag and mingle with the bulk of the water
in the bath. In some cases it is desirable to bathe ouly a certain portion of the
body with the sulphur bath. In this case the two salts are mixed with as little
water as possible to dissolve them and are placed direct on the skin, or two layers
of lint are impregnated with the two solutions respectively and an india-rubber
or other covering placed round them so as to prevent the liquid running out into
the bed or clothing of the person to whose skin the application is made. In practice
in these cases we form the bath by saturating a piece of lint or other porous
material such as asbestos or asbestos cloth with a solution of hyposulphite of
soda 500 grains to 20 oz. of water. This is placed next to the skin and over it
is laid a second piece of lint or other porous material soaked in a solution of
bisulphate of soda or potash, 500 grains to 20 oz. of water. The whole is then
covered as already described and the nascent sulphur and sulphurous acid are thus
generated locally in a convenient and efficient manner otherwise unobtainable
forming an admirable local bath for the diseased portion. The strengths of the
solutions may of course be modified according to the requirements of the case under
treatment. For ordinary immersion baths I prefer to use 2 oz. of hyposulphite
of soda and 2 oz. of bisulphate of soda to from 10 gallons to 20 gallons of water,
but in special cases the relative quantity of the salts to water may be increased or
decreased beyond these limits.
1.1,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The improvement in the production of sulphur baths administered locally
or otherwise, consisting in the application of an alkali metal bisulphate
and an alkali metal hyposulphite brought in contact with each other and
the water of the bath, immediately before or at the time when the bath is
-being used.
2. As a new article of manufacture, the alkali metal bisulphate and alkali metal

page_text: hyposulphite weighed out and formed in packets in the required quantities for a
bath substantially as above described.
Dated this 22nd day of Bohmsomy 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.