Iм- PROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTERS."-A communication
from abroad by Jean Pierre Lies-Bodart, Professor of Chemistry, of 29,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated, the 16th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
April 1864.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said: Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTERS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved method by which meat may be
preserved in a fresh condition for a year, and even as long as fifteen months..
Meat preserved according to this improved process includes good beef, excellent
beefsteak or meat suitable for stewing; raw hides and all other organic. azoted.
matters may also be preserved according to this Invention.

page_text: The following is the method of operation:-I place the fresh meat or other
substance under treatment in an air-tight case, care being taken not to pack
it too tightly; I then solder or otherwise fix a cover thereon, to which is
attached a pipe, by the aid of which I fill up the spaces between the meat
with a weak solution of sulphite of soda, and then close the tube. In this
manner the meat or other substances will be preserved in a fresh condition
for an indefinite period. A small amount of gum or dextrine may also in
some cases form part of the aqueous solution.
The Invention comprises not only the employment of sulphite of soda, but
all other sulphites, hyposulphites, and bi-sulphites in general, as also the
method in which they are employed. I would add, that on being taken out
of the cases, the meat will contain traces of sulphite which becomes transformed
in the cooking into sulphite of soda, but in such a small quantity as not to be
prejudicial to health.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office. on the
12th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands; and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL MATTERS," a communication to me from abroad by
Jean Pierre Lies-Bodart, Professor of Chemistry, of 29, Bonlevart St. Martin,
Paris, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said. William Clark,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or

page_text: their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said.
Letters Patent.
1 :...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
"
:
This Invention relates to an improved method by which meat and other
fermentable azoted matters may be preserved in a fresh condition for a year
and even as long as fifteen months. Meat preserved according to this
improved process will retain all the qualities of beef, excellent beefsteak, or
meats suitable for soup or stewing, raw hides, and all other organic azoted
matters may be preserved according to this Invention.
The following is the method of operation:-I place the fresh meat or other
substance under treatment in an air-tight case, care being taken not to pack
it too tightly; I then solder or otherwise fix a cover thereon, to which is
attached a pipe, by the aid of which I fill up the spaces between the meat
with a weak solution of sulphite of soda, and then close the tube. In this
manner the meat or other substance will be preserved in a fresh condition for
an indefinite period. A small amount of gum or dextrine may also in some.
cases form part of the aqueous solution. I would add, that on being taken
out of the cases the meat will contain traces of sulphite or other preservative
salt which becomes transformed in the cooking into sulphate of soda or other
more highly oxygenated salt, but in such a small quantity as not to be pre-
judicial to health.
The Invention comprises the use of sulphites generally, that is, of hypo-
sulphites and bisulphites, to which may be added nitrites and all other salts
capable of absorbing oxygen.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the preservation of meat, hides, and generally of all organic azoted
putrifiable matters, by immersing them in a solution of sulphite, bisulphite,
hyposulphites, and alkaline, and other nitrites generally, as herein-before
described.
Secondly, I claim the method above described for hermetically enclosing

page_text: meat, skins, and azoted putrifiable matters generally in closed cases containing
the preservative liquids, all as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
.London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)