IMPROVED PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT, FISH, FRUIT, OIL, SOAP, AND OTHER ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT, FISH, FRUIT, OIL,
SOAP, AND OTHER ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES.' A communication
from abroad by Fabion Jourdes, of Paris, France.
"
Sealed the 26th November 1878, and dated the 6th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th June 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION
OF MEAT, FISH, FRUIT, OIL, SOAP, AND OTHER ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUB-
STANCES." [A communication from abroad by Fabien Jourdes, of Paris, France.]
The said Invention relates to processes for the preservation of animal and
vegetable matter of various kinds by means of borate of soda or the ordinary borax
of commerce in a pure condition, employed either alone or mixed with one or more
of the following salts, namely, the double sulphate of alumina, or of potash or alum,
or sulphate of lime.
The preservation of solid substances, such as meat, fish, fruit, and similar materials,
is effected by sprinkling or covering such substances with or immersing them in
either borate of soda reduced to powder or dissolved in any suitable liquid; or a
mixture of the above specified salts pulverized or dissolved in any appropriate
liquid; for instance, for 100 kilogrammes of beef I employ 160 to 180 gramnies of
powdered borax, according to the thickness of the meat.
For preserving liquid substances, such as vegetable or animal oil, milk, beer, and
the like, it will be sufficient to dissolve in the same a small quantity of borax alone,
or a mixture of borax and alum.
For the preservation of butter I mix with 100 kilogrammes of the same, about
300 grammies of pure borax. In this case I mix or incorporate the borate of soda
with the substance to be preserved.

page_text: I may also proceed as follows, that is to say:-I mix with the mass a small
quantity of borate of soda or of the double sulphate of alumina and potash, or alum
and of sulphate of lime. Moreover, I cover with a thin coating of the same the
surfaces exposed to the air.
When it is not necessary to preserve the butter for a long time I simply envelope
or wrap it in unsized paper (filtering paper) previously dipped in a concentrated
solution of borax alone, or of borax, alum, and sulphate of lime.
In the melting of suet or the like, the borax will prevent fermentation, and
will give to the melted substance an agreeable flavour. The proportion of borax
to be employed will vary according to the desired delicacy of the flavour of the
product, but an addition of about one per cent. of borax to the mass of the substance
to be melted will be usually sufficient.
Eggs immersed for a few moments in a concentrated solution of borate of soda or
of a mixture of borate of soda, sulphate of lime, and alum, may be kept fresh for
many months.
One very important application of this Invention is for the preservation of
articles of perfuinery, such as pomatum, cosmetics, perfumed animal or vegetable
oil, paste, cream, soap, powder, dentifrice, and the like; the borate of soda alone
will have a very great preservative effect in these substances, and will, moreover,
increase their hygienic properties. The proportions are usually as follows, namely:-
For greases or pommades the proportion of the borate to be incorporated therewith
is 1 part to 100 parts, that is to say, one kilogramme of borax for each one hundred
kilogrammes of grease or pommade. For soap, the proportion may be 3 parts to
100 parts, that is to say, 3 kilogrammes of borax to each one hundred kilogrammes
of soap; for cosmetics and similar articles of perfumery, the proportions may be
about the same as for the pommade; for liquid dentifrice the quantity of borax
may vary from 2 to 5 per cent., according to the effects desired to be produced by
the use of the same. It will be understood that the above proportions will be
somewhat varied, according to the nature or quality of the materials used.

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 Oth
December 1878.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVED PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION
OF MEAT, FISH, FRUIT, OIL, SOAP, AND OTHER ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUB-
STANCES." A'communication from abroad by Fabien Jourdes, of Paris, France.
The said Invention relates to processes for the preservation of animal and
vegetable matter of various kinds by means of borate of soda or the ordinary borax
of commerce in a pure condition, employed either alone or mixed with one or more
of the following salts, namely, the double sulphate of alumina and of potash, or
alum or sulphate of lime.
The preservation of solid materials, such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and similar
substances is effected by sprinkling or covering such substances with or immersing
them in either borate of soda reduced to powder or dissolved in any suitable liquid,
or a mixture of the above specified salts pulverized or dissolved in an appropriate
liquid; for instance, for 100 kilogrammes of beef I employ 160 to 180 grammes
of powdered borax, according to the thickness of the meat.
For preserving liquid substances, such as vegetable or animal oil, milk, beer, and
the like, it will be sufficient to dissolve in the same a small quantity of borax alone,
or a mixture of borax and alum.
For the preservation of butter I mix with 100 kilogrammes of the same about
300 grammes of pure borax. In this case I mix or incorporate the borate of soda
with the substance to be preserved.
I may also proceed as follows, that is to say :-I mix with the mass a small
quantity of borate of soda or of the double sulphate of alumina and potash, or alum
and sulphate of lime. Moreover, I cover with a thin coating of the same the
surfaces exposed to the air.
When it is not necessary to preserve the butter for a long time I simply envelope
or wrap it in unsized paper (filtering paper) previously dipped in a concentrated
solution of borax alone, or of borax, alum, and sulphate of lime.
In the melting of suet or the like, the borax will prevent fermentation, and will
give to the melted substance an agreeable flavour. The proportion of borax to be
employed will vary according to the desired delicacy of the flavour of the product,
but an addition of about one per cent. of borax to the mass of the substance to be
melted will be usually sufficient.
Eggs immersed for a few moments in a concentrated solution of borate of soda or
of a mixture of borate of soda, sulphate of lime, and alum, may be kept fresh for
many months.
One very important application of this Invention is for the preservation of articles
of perfumery, such as pomatum, cosmetics, perfumed animal or vegetable oil, paste,
cream, soap, powder, dentifrice, and the like; the borate of soda alone will have a
very great preservative effect on these substances, and will, moreover, increase their
hygienic properties. The proportions are usually as follows; namely:-For greases
or pommades the proportion of the borate to be incorporated therewith is 1 part to
100 parts, that is to say, one kilogramme of borax for each one hundred kilo-
grammes of grease or poininade; for soap, the proportion may be 3 parts to 100
parts, that is to say, three kilogrammes of borax to each one hundred kilogrammes
of soap; for cosmetics and similar articles of perfumery, the proportions may be
about the same as for the pommade; for liquid dentrifice, the quantity of borax
may vary from 2 to 5 per cent, according to the effects desired to be produced by
the use of the same. It will be understood that the above proportions will be
somewhat varied, according to the nature or quality of the materials used.

page_text: I will now proceed to distinctly indicate the parts of my Invention which refer
to the application of borax employed alone and in a powdered form for the above
purposes.
I repeat here, in order to be well understood, that borax has been frequently
heretofore recommended as an antiseptic, it having been repeatedly employed either
as an injection or to form solutions in which to immerse substances to be preserved
thereby. The results thus obtained, although interesting in some respects, have not
fulfilled the object of preserving such substances without altering the nature of the
same. But there is a very different action with powdered borax, and experiments
have proved that the quantity of borax to be employed is of great importance in the
mode of action.
.
In order that the borax may act efficiently it should be dissolved in the natural
liquids of the substances to be preserved, and without the intervention of foreign
matters, and it is necessary that the quantity of borax should be proportioned to
the quantity of these liquids. If too small a quantity of borax is employed it has
no effect, and too great a quantity of the same alters the appearance and quality of
the product. Under these conditions the borax acts in quite a special manner, it
destroys the ferments in suspension in the aforesaid liquids, prevents in certain
cases the coagulation of these liquids, and constitutes an impervious and preserva-
tive coating. Such is its action on meat, tallow, grease, bone, skins, guts, fish, and
other substances. In liquids the powder of borax destroys the germs which give
rise to fermentations; this action has been verified with regard to milk, beer, wine,
butter, cheese, blood, oil, and the like. The application of this action constitutes
the important part of my Invention, since this application, which is altogether new
in itself, has given new results.
In order to arrive at the results above described the mode of employing powdered
borax is not altogether indifferent.
To permit the powdered borax to act in a very efficient manner in the small
quantities in which it ought to be employed it is necessary that it should be very
fine, and also that the distribution of the same on the substances to be preserved
should be as regular as possible. To accomplish this object I employ bellows of any
suitable form, such, for instance, as those used for powdering grape vines with
sulphur, and the like, or sieves, or riddles of any kind, or any suitable instrument
or means for evenly spreading the powder and producing a sort of cloud of pulverized
borax, which, in falling in a uniform manner upon the surface of solid bodies
and liquids melts in a regular or even manner.
These modes of applying borax are new, and the combination of the same is
requisite in order to obtain really practical results; the chief feature of my Inven-
tion is the definition of the quantities of powdered borax which should be employed
in such proportions that the whole of its preservative action shall develop itself and
nothing but that action.
I will also define especially improvements I have made by the use of borax in
definite proportions in the melting and treatment of tallow, grease, offal, blood, oil,
and the like, in order to obtain superior results and avoid the losses resulting from
detrimental fermentations. The borax must be in the most favorable condition for
dissolving rapidly upon the surface of or within the substance to be preserved.
It is necessary to deposit on the surface of the substance to be preserved a slight
layer or coating of borax, and when powdered borax is employed I use bellows,
dredgers, or other apparatus or means suitable for facilitating the regular even
distribution of the borax to be absorbed.
The substances or bodies to be treated are suspended or otherwise placed in cool
places which are well aerated up to the time of the melting or other treatment.
When such melting or treatment is effected before the commencement of fermenta-
tion is to be feared I simply add one half per cent. of borax, and this conjointly
with other usual ingredients, the presence of which facilitates the melting. Under
these circumstances the borax prevents all detrimental fermentations, and also all

page_text: bad smells, even when the melting temperature is carried considerably beyond the
customary degree.
.
The residues from the melting do not ferment any more, and thus the so repulsive
emanations of the melting establishments are destroyed.
For melted grease and oil a slight addition of borax at an increase of temperature
produces a perfect rectification.
The proportions of borax employed vary according to the results to be obtained
from one per thousand to one half per cent.
-
Furthermore I would remark that where alimentary substances are concerned I
employ borax specially prepared, so that it will be free from any detrimental
mixtures, for example, it may be made in vats, and by means of apparatus not
containing any part of lead, copper, or other metals which might cause the formation
of dangerous salts; in other words, the borax may be prepared according to such
hygienic rules as are observed for the preparation of alimentary products.
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 understood
that I claim, the improved processes for the preservation of animal or vegetable
substances comprising the following peculiar features, or such of them as will
accomplish the object of my Invention, namely,-
First. The application in definite proportions of borax in powder by evenly dis-
tributing the same over the substances to be treated thereby as and for the purposes
above described.
Second. The use of dredges, bellows, or similar articles for the purpose of evenly
distributing the powdered borax for the purpose herein set forth.
Third. The special application of borax in the melting and treatment of tallow,
grease, and similar substances as above set forth.
Fourth. The preparation of borax to be used for the preservation of alimentary
substances, that is to say, borax free from detrimental or injurious salts or mixtures,
excessively divided and containing the right equivalent of water necessary for its
easy dissolution without exaggeration, as above described.
Fifth. The application of the borax powder at the most suitable moment, that is
to say, for instance, after the meat has lost its excess of natural humidity, and before
external humidity can deposit new fermented matter thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WM DODT TR