Improvements in Material for Surgical Bandages, Water-proof Bed-sheets, Shrouds, and the like, and in the Process for Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Material for Surgical Bandages, Water-proof
Bed-sheets, Shrouds, and the like, and in the Process for
Manufacturing the same.
I, EMIL HIRSCH, of Prague, in the Province of Bohemia, Empire of Austria,
Manufacturer, 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 a manufactured material to be used for surgical
bandages or fabrics for dressing wounds and as a substitute for the bed-sheets made
of india rubber or of fabric impregnated with india rubber hitherto in use, and also
for making shrouds or winding sheets or linings for coffins, especially applicable
in cases where the corpse exudes moisture and where an accumulation of exuded
fluids in the coffin is anticipated. This material may also be used as a substitute
for the usual shrouds impregnated with disinfecting substances and resorted to in
cases of death resulting from infectious diseases.
The essential feature of this material are its absolute impermeability for
liquids, and, after treatment with the required chemicals, its possession of all the
disinfecting qualities required in surgical bandages shrouds and the like.
According to this invention the said material consists of parchinent-paper of the
best quality, which is in itself absolutely water-tight, prepared in a special manner
so as to make it tough and pliant, and impregnated with suitable chemicals to endow
it with the required disinfecting properties.
The process for the manufacture of such material is as follows. Parchment-
paper is made in any well known manner, proper care being taken during the initial
preparation to ensure its being as strong as possible.
When dry, this parchment-paper is made pliant by passing it through a bath of
glycerine to which is added, in suitable quantity, chloride of calcium, chloride of
magnesium, chloride of sodium, chloride of aluminium, or any other substance
having a hygroscopic action, that is to say having the property of absorbing
moisture. For this purpose either of the hygroscopic salts is transformed into a
solution of at least 30° Baumé and the solution is mixed with an equal quantity
by weight of glycerine having a density of 28° Baumé. If it is desired that the
final product should have disinfecting properties, suitable disinfecting matter is
also added to the bath.
Carbolic acid or boric acid is preferably used for this purpose, the latter,
besides being a disinfectant, having the advantage of rendering the material
entirely inodorous.
If either of the above mentioned chemicals be used, the most advantageous
proportions are about 6 parts by weight of carbolic acid, or about 8 parts by weight
of boric acid to 100 parts by weight of glycerine, (the carbolic acid being taken as
evaporated to dryness, and the boric acid as crystallised).
The parchment-paper treated in the above described manner can be kept for
a long time without losing any of its disinfecting qualities or its pliability and
impermeability.
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. A new material consisting of parchment-paper made pliant by being treated

page_text: with glycerine and a substance having a hygroscopic action, and being also
impregnated with some disinfecting substance, preferably carbolic acid or boric acid,
substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.
2. For manufacturing the parchment-paper prepared as hereinbefore set forth,
a process consisting in treating strong parchment-paper in a bath of glycerine to
which chloride of calcium (or chloride of magnesium, chloride of sodium, or chloride
of aluminium) has been added, and also carbolic or boric acid thereby giving to the
parchment-paper permanent toughness and pliability, and of endowing it in addition
with disinfecting qualities, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.