Improvements in the Production of a Peptonized Beverage from Milk.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug.. 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of a Peptonized Beverage
from Milk.
I, ALEXANDER BERNSTEIN, of 76, Königgrätzer Strasse, Berlin, S.W. in the
Empire of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production of a peptonized beverage from milk.
It is well known that ordinary milk is difficult of digestion by many persons in
consequence of the undissolved state of the caseine.
The object of my invention is to produce from milk a liquid suitable for drinking
purposes in which the caseine is in a dissolved state, that is to say, it is what is
generally called peptonized.
This liquid is sterile and may therefore be kept for a long time without
deterioration.
In order to obtain this peptonized liquid I avail myself of a bacteria which I
designate as peptone-bacteria, and which possesses the property of peptonizing the
caseine in milk without curdling and without producing decompositions unsuitable
for drinking purposes. The special bacteria which I have found to be very
suitable for the purposes of my invention is in the form of a very short rod (two
being generally connected together) and exhibits rapid motion; these bacteria are
grown in milk and the colonies cultivated on meat-peptone-gelatine are of a liquid,
cloudy appearance and shew very fine rays on the circumference; such bacteria
liquefy the gelatine completely; on peptone-agar they shew a white slimy growth;
on potatoes they produce a smooth brown skin; they do not appear to produce
spores; they are destroyed by being subjected to a temperature of between 70°
and 80° C.
In carrying out my invention I proceed as follows:-
A small quantity of milk, preferably skim milk (or butter-milk or whey may be
used) is first completely sterilized, and then a small quantity of the peptone-
bacteria, grown on agar. added. In a few days the milk, if kept at about 20° C.
becomes more transparent and liquid. In this state it is added to a larger quantity
of sterilised milk and this method is carried on until the desired quantity of milk
is under treatment.
If the milk is kept at between 20 and 30° C. the appearance will change in a
few days. No curdling takes place but the caseine is gradually changed into
albumose and peptone which are dissolved in the milk. By this process the milk
becomes more transparent and at the same time a small amount of acid is formed.
I generally interrupt the process of peptonization in about a week's time.
The milk is now boiled; the peptone-bacteria are thereby killed and the caseine
which was not dissolved is curdled during the boiling; the milk is then filtered.
The result of the filtration is a transparent liquid of pleasant but slightly bitter
taste. It contains peptones, milk-sugar, the dissolved salts of the milk and a
slight amount of acid. It is very nourishing and easily digested. The colour of
the liquid depends on the method of sterilizing the milk, and may be white, yellow-
brown or red-brown, according to the heat used in sterilization.
The filtered liquid is poured into an open vessel and heated so as to evaporate
a certain part as I find that this improves the taste.
It is then poured in bottles in which it is to be kept.
If it is desirable to obtain the peptone in a dry form as powder, the liquefying

page_text: of the caseine should be carried on as long as possible by neutralizing the acid.
The dry peptone is produced from the dissolved state in a well known manner.
Dated this 24th day of May 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
*
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of a Peptonized Beverage
from Milk.
I, ALEXANDER BERNSTEIN, of 76, Königgrätzer Strasse, Berlin, S.W. in the
German Empire, 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 :—
This invention relates to the production of a peptonized beverage from milk.
It is well known that ordinary milk is difficult of digestion by many persons in
consequence of the undissolved state of the caseine.
The object of my invention is to produce from milk a liquid suitable for drinking
purposes in which the caseine is in a dissolved state, that is to say, it is what is
generally called peptonized.
This liquid is sterile and may therefore be kept for a long time without
deterioration.
In order to obtain this peptonized liquid I avail myself of a bacterium which I
designate as a peptone bacterium, and which possesses the property of trans-
forming the caseine in milk into albumose and peptone without previous curdling
and without producing decompositions which would render the liquid unsuitable for
drinking purposes..
The ordinary well known bacteria which first curdle the milk and slowly
dissolve the curd are not suitable for the purpose of my invention. The special
bacterium I have found to be very suitable for the purposes of my invention has
creceived the name of "bacterium peptofacicas" and has been fully described by
me in a paper entitled "The Chemical Action of a New Bacterium in Milk" read
before the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science at
Oxford on the 8th August 1894. This bacterium can be obtained by isolating the
bacteria occurring in milk by means of the method of Robert Koch. When
isolated it can be recognized by the following peculiarities. The bacteria are in
the form of very short rods (two being generally connected together) and exhibit
rapid whirling motion; the colonies cultivated on plates of meat-peptone-gelatine
are of a liquid, cloudy appearance and soon liquefy the gelatine completely; on
tubes of meat peptone-agar-agar a white slimy growth is formed; on potatoes a
smooth brown skin is produced.
In carrying out my invention I proceed as follows:-
A small quantity of milk, preferably separated milk (or butter-milk or whey
may be used) is first completely sterilized, and then a small quantity of the
peptone-bacteria, grown on agar, is added. In a few days the milk, if kept at
about 20° C. becomes more transparent and liquid. In this state it is added to a
larger quantity of sterilized milk and this method is carried on until the desired
quantity of milk is under treatment. The vessels containing the milk are shaken
from time to time, or the milk may be kept in motion by mechanical means during
the time of incubation.
If the milk is kept at between 20 and 30° C. the appearance will change in a
few days. No curdling takes place, but the caseine is gradually changed into
albumose and peptone, which are dissolved in the milk and at the same time a
small amount of acid is formed.
I generally interrupt the process of peptonization in about a week's time.

page_text: The milk is now boiled; the peptone-bacteria are thereby killed and the caseine
which was not dissolved is curdled during the boiling by reason of the acid already
mentioned. This offers a ready means of separating the peptonized part from the
undissolved part of the milk. The milk is then filtered and the result of the
filtration is a transparent or translucent liquid of pleasant taste. It contains
the caseine-peptones, milk sugar, the dissolved salts of the milk and a slight
amount of lactic acid and is very nourishing and easily digested.
During the process of liquefying it is well to exclude all other bacteria from
the milk but after the liquefied milk is obtained, it may be treated with other kinds
of micro-organisms.
The liquefied milk is then poured into bottles in which it is sterilized by heat
and is then ready for use as a beverage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The process of producing a peptonized beverage from milk by treating
sterilized milk with peptone-bacteria whereby the caseine is peptonized without
previous curdling, separating the dissolved part of the caseine from the undissolved
part by filtration and sterilizing the filtered liquid, substantially as described.
2. A peptonized beverage produced from milk substantially as described.
Dated this 97th do of Ancust 1004
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.