IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GUNTER, of Cullum Street, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixth day of January, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Gunter, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Henry Gunter, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Gunter, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES;"
in which 'said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Henry
Gunter, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
Immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and large appear.
NOW KNOW YE; that 'in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Gunter, do' hereby declare that. the nature of my Invention, and
.

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to a mode of treating animal and vegetable substances
in cases or vessels, by heat, and thus cooking, or partially cooking, the same,
and driving off the atmospheric air contained therein whereby the animal and
vegetable substances so treated may be preserved for a great length of time in
a fresh and pure state, and retain their natural flavor. And in order to give
the best information in my power, I will proceed to describe the process as
pursued by me.. I employ (by preference) vessels or cases of tin, and of a
cylindrical or other convenient form, such vessels each having one end fixed
therein, and into these vessels I place such animal substances as I may desire
to preserve, having first scalded them; I then solder on the other end of each
vessel, so that the vessel will be hermetically closed, having in filling allowed a
small quantity of room in each-vessel to permit the substance therein to swell.
I then place a number of such vessels into a large boiler, and cover them with
water and close the boiler, and cause the water therein to boil freely, but
retaining it about two hundred and twelve degrees of Fahrenheit, and continue
such boiling for about two hours and a half for animal matter, and from fifteen
to twenty-five minutes for vegetable matter. I then take out such vessels, and
on examination, if they shew no unsoundness, I place them in a hot sand bath,
or other convenient means of applying heat, so as to leave the upper end
uncovered; and I puncture therein a minute hole, and heat being kept up to
insure its being above two hundred and twelve degrees of Fahrenheit, the air
in the case or vessel will be driven out with the steam, and when it is seen that
the steam is coming very freely I close the minute hole by a soldering iron
whilst the steam is flowing off and in opposition thereto; the process will then
be complete. And it may be remarked that by pursuing this process great
advantages will be derived, as it will be evident that by causing the process of
heat to be carried on during the time the vessel is hermetically closed all the
flavor of the substances treated will be retained, and the vessels will only be
open so long as simply to allow of the air being driven off; from which cir-
cumstance the animal and vegetable substances will be preserved in the most
advantageous manner. And in conclusion, I may remark, that although I
have been thus particular in describing the exact means pursued by me, I do
not confine myself thereto, so long as the mode herein described be retained.
And I am aware that animal and vegetable matters may be preserved by
simply placing them in such vessels as herein described and closing them
therein; but in place of having them hermetically sealed, when undergoing
the process of heat to cook, or partially cook, the same, to have a minute hole

page_text: or holes in the cover, and allow the vapours to flow off during the whole time
of applying heat, and then closing such vessels when the substances are cooked
to the extent desired; but I do not consider such process nearly so advantageous
as that above described, as much of the flavor of the animal or vegetable sub-
stance or substances by the latter means would be driven off, whereas in the
former processes the same are retained, as the cooking goes on during the time
the vessel is hermetically closed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Gunter, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.