AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR THE PRESERVATION IN ITS NATURAL STATE OF FRESH ANIMAL, FOOD, SUCH AS BEEF, MUTTON, PORK, AND -FISH, AND TO PREVENT DECAY IN HIDES AND SALTED MEATS."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Taylor, Surgeon, 51, Hope Street, Liverpool, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR THE PRESERVATION IN ITS NATURAL
STATE OF FRESH ANIMAL, FOOD, SUCH AS BEEF, MUTTON, PORK, AND -FISH, AND
TO PREVENT DECAY IN HIDES AND SALTED MEATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Taylor at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1877.
JOHN TAYLOR, Surgeon, of 51, Hope Street, Liverpool. "AN IMPROVED METHOD
FOR THE PRESERVATION IN ITS NATURAL STATE OF FRESH ANIMAL FOOD, SUCH AS
BEEF, MUTTON, PORK, AND FISH, AND TO PREVENT DECAY IN HIDES AND SALTED
MEATS."
I use the compositions herein named chiefly in a gelatinous or semi-solid form,
whereby a cool exterior is maintained, permeation is less than by immersion in fluids,
and the flavour of the meat is not impaired.
As a basis these preservatives are composed of borate of lime, or (and) soluble
silicates, especially silicate of soda.
I prefer the borate of lime basis, rendered soluble in water by boracic acid or
mixible into a thick fluid by dilute sulphuric acid, either process terminating in a
thick paste by the addition of some innocuous absorbent, such as common hydrated
sulphate of lime or silicate of alumina (China clay) with the ferruginous oxides, or
by other similar means of metallic or vegetable origin.
The meat may be packed in carcass, or in quarters, or smaller portions, surrounded
by the selected preservative, and in the case of hides and salted meats, as bacon and
hams, they may be merely dipped into it either in the fluid or semi-solid state.
I find for example that 56 lbs. of native borate of lime, 28 lbs. of native boracic
acid, and 60 gallons of water boiled together for a few minutes, then thickened-with
China clay or other suitable substance, and 1 or 2 lbs. of the ferruginous oxide
Venetian red, form an efficient prservative for many weeks under a varying tem-
perature of 70° to 90° Fahrenheit.
The addition of '1 lb. of alum in solution gives firmness to the composition, and
....
7

page_text: 7 lbs. of commercial silicate of soda in 2 gallons of water will prolong its moisture,
but they are not indispensable.
Another and less expensive method is the substitution of sulphuric acid for boracic
acid; say for example, 100 lbs. of borate of lime finely levigated, and 3 to 4 lbs. of
sulphuric acid in 60 gallons of water boiled together for a few minutes, then
thickened and coloured as aforesaid.
The flesh colour in this and other cases may be enhanced by the addition of
7 lbs. of nitrate of potash or nitrate of soda, and 3 lbs. of sulphuric acid boiled to
solution in 3 or 4 gallons of water.
A third application of the borate of lime is its perfect trituration, with sulphurous
acid, then adding tincture of perchloride of iron-(popularly called tincture of steel) or
its equivalent, solution of perchloride of iron of the British pharmacopoeia diluted in
water, say, about 56 lbs. of borate of lime, 42 lbs. of sulphurous acid, and 1 pint of
tincture of steel in 30 gallons of water, stiffening in the manner described; this
process retains plasticity longer than the others.
The silicate method is by the admixture of about 56 lbs. of silicate of soda or
silicate of potash, or both combined, with 2 lbs. of the tincture, or the solution of
perchloride of iron dissolved in 15 gallons of water, then adding 42 lbs. of boracic
acid dissolved in 85 gallons of boiling water, and afterwards the aforesaid absorbents.
As a cheap and efficient proservative in some cases I use 3 parts of silicato of
soda or silicate of potash, or of both combined, in 100 parts of water, adding 1 part
of the tincture, or the solution of perchloride of iron, thickened as above described.
And sometimes for common purposes 11b. of the said tincture or solution alone in
5 gallons of water, thickened as aforesaid.
The solution of the perchloride may be cheaply prepared by digesting for 3 days
1 lb. of pure peroxide of iron in 3 lbs. of hydrochloric acid, frequently shaking, then
adding 1 gallon of water, and straining. The tincture, in like manner substituting
spirits of wine for water.
In all these operations I prefer to use the tincture. If whiting or powdered beet-
root and other vegetable powders be used to consolidate, they should be subjected
for a few minutes to a temperature of 212° to 250 Fahrenheit. The boracic acid of the
ingredients is recoverable as-borax.
I claim the exclusive right to the use of all my herein-described Inventions for
preserving flesh meat in its natural state, and for the prevention of decay in hides
and salted meat, including the use of borate of lime, the silicate salts, and the
tincture and liquor of perchloride of iron, separately or in combination with each
other in aqueous solution, or with acids, salts, oxides, and absorbents, native or
artificial, and either in a fluid, solid, or semi-solid form, and to any imitation thereof
substantially the same; but I do not confine myself to the relative proportions of
the ingredients used, nor, to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of my Invention be retained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th August
1877.
JOHN TAYLOR, Surgeon, 51, Hope Street, Liverpool. "AN IMPROVED METHOD
FOR THE PRESERVATION IN ITS NATURAL STATE OF FRESH ANIMAL FOOD, SUCH AS
BEEF, MUTTON, PORK, AND FISH, AND TO PREVENT DECAY IN HIDES AND SALTED
MEATS."
. I use the compositions herein named chiefly in a gelatinous or semi-solid form,
whereby a cool exterior is maintained, permeation is less than by immersion in fluids
and the flavour of the meat is not impaired.
As a basis these preservatives are composed of borate of lime or (and) soluble
silicates, especially silicate of soda.

page_text: I prefer the borate of lime, rendered soluble in water by boracic acid or mixible
into a thick fluid by dilute sulphuric acid, either process-terminating in a gelatinous
form by the addition of some innocuous absorbent, such as common hydrated
sulphate of lime or silicate of alumina (China clay) with the ferruginous oxides, or
by other suitable means of metallic or vegetable origin.
The meat may be packed in carcass, or in quarters, or smaller portions surrounded
by the selected preservative, and in the case of hides and salted meats, as bacon and
hams, they may be merely dipped into it either in the fluid or semi-solid state.
I find for example that fifty-six pounds of native borate of lime, twenty-eight
pounds of native boracic acid, and sixty gallons of water boiled together for a few
minutes, then thickened with China clay or other suitable substance, and one or two
pounds of the ferruginous oxide Venetian red form an efficient preservative for many
weeks under temperature of 70 to 90 Fahrenheit.
The addition of one pound of alum in solution gives firmness to the composition,
and seven pounds of commercial silicate of soda in two gallons of water will prolong
its moisture, but they are not indispensable.
Another and less expensive method is the substitution of sulphuric acid for boracic
acid; say for example, one hundred pounds of borate of lime finely levigated, and
three to four pounds of sulphuric acid in sixty gallons of water boiled together for a
few minutes, then thicken and colored as aforesaid.
The flesh color in this and other cases may be enhanced by the addition of seven
pounds of nitrate of potash or nitrate of soda, and three pounds of sulphuric acid
boiled to solution in three or four gallons of water.
The third application of the borate of lime is its perfect trituration with sulphurous
acid, then adding tincture of perchloride of iron (popularly called tincture of steel)
or its equivaient solution of perchloride of iron of the British pharmacopoeia diluted
with water, say, about fifty-six pounds of borate of lime, forty-two pounds of
sulphurous acid, and one pint of tincture of steel in thirty gallons of water,
stiffening in the manner described; this process retains plasticity longer than the
others.
The silicate method is by the admixture of about fifty-six pounds of silicate of
soda or silicate of potash, or of both combined, with two pounds of the tincture or of
the solution of perchloride of iron dissolved in fifteen gallons of water, then adding
forty-two pounds of boracic acid dissolved in eighty-five gallons of of boiling water,
and afterwards, the aforesaid absorbents.
As a cheap and efficient preservative in some cases I use three parts of silicate of
soda or silicate of potash, or of both combined, in one hundred parts of water, adding
one part of the tincture or of the solution of perchloride of iron, thickened as before
described. And sometimes for similar purposes one pound of the said tincture or
solution alone in five gallons of water, thickened as aforesaid.
The solution of the perchloride may be cheaply prepared by digesting for three
days one pound of pure peroxide of iron in three pounds of hydrochloric acid,
frequently shaking, then adding one gallon of water, and straining. The tincture,
in like manner substituting spirits of wine for water.
In all these operations I prefer to use the tincture. If whiting or powdered beet-
root and other vegetable powders be used to consolidate they should be subjected for
a few minutes to a temperature of 212 to 250 Fahrenheit, The boracic acid of the
ingredients is recoverable as borax.
I claim exclusive right in the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and the Isle of Man, to the use of all my herein described Inventions for
preserving fresh meat in its natural state, and for the prevention of decay in hides
and salted meats, including the use of borate of lime, the silicate salts, and the
tincture and liquor of perchloride of iron, separately or in combination with each
other in aqueous solution, or with acids, salts, oxides, and absorbents, native or
artificial, and either in a fluid, solid, or semi-solid form, and to any imitation thereof,
substantially the same; but I do not confine myself to the relative proportions of

page_text: the ingredients used, nor to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of my Invention be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Taylor, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this 28th day of August, 1877.
JOHN TAYLOR,
LS.)
51, Hope Street, Liverpool.