Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
1, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My foreign correspondents have found that if formaldehyde is allowed to act
upon a solution of white of egg, a new albumen is formed, which differs in a
characteristic manner from the raw material, as its aqueous solution does not
coagulate when boiled. On account of this property of being easily soluble,
but not liable to coagulate, the new product becomes valuable for various
purposes.
The alteration undergone by the albumen is best demonstrated in the following
manner :-
If the white of egg is diluted with water, the globules separate out and can be
filtered off.
The filtrate, which contains by far the greater part of the constituents of the
white of egg coagulates in thick flakes as soon as brought to boiling point; if,
however, before heating, formic-aldehyde is added to the solution, it loses its
liability to coagulate and does not regain it even after entire removal of the
formic-aldehyde by repeated distillation with water.
Consequently the albumen which previously was liable to coagulate has formed
a new compound with new properties.
The new product is manufactured as follows:-
4 kilos. of white of eggs are mixed with about 25 grammes of formic-aldehyde of
40 per cent. and left standing for several days; water is then added and the solution
is boiled, more water being added if necessary until evaporation of the formic-
aldehyde. The solution is then filtered and evaporated at a low temperature
either to the desired concentration, or, in vacuo, to dryness.
The principal reactions of the solution are as follows:-
The new albuminous compound is precipitated from it by means of acids; the
precipitate is still soluble in water. A solution of soda and ammonia produce no
precipitate.
Strong alcohol precipitates the product which is still soluble in water even after
having been dried in vacuo. Treatment with acetone produces like effects. If,
however, the solution of the formal albumen is evaporated on the water bath, or
the albumen previously allowed to assume a firmer consistence in presence of formic
aldehyde, then the compound has obviously undergone a change, for it has almost
entirely lost its solubility in water.
The solution of the new albuminous compound is yellowish and transparent. It
turns the plane of polarised light to the left and gives the biuret and xanthoproteïn
reaction.
Acetic acid and ferro-cyanide of potassium give a precipitate which is soluble

page_text: in excess of acetic acid. No reduction is obtained with ammonia and nitrate of
silver.
Like the white of egg, the albumen of blood and inilk as contained in blood
serum or skimmed milk, is transformed by formic aldehyde into new compounds,
which are no longer coagulated by heat and the properties of which are the
same as those mentioned above in respect of the product resulting from white
of egg.
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Manufacture of New Albuminous Compounds.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
My foreign correspondents have found that if formic aldehyde is allowed to act
upon a solution of white of egg, a new albumen is formed, which differs in a
characteristic manner from the raw material, as its aqueous solution does not
coagulate when boiled and which may be brought to dryness without losing its
solubility in water, if the solution contains no more formic aldehyde.
The solution of white of egg, upon which formic aldehyde is allowed to act, must
be boiled to distil off the excess of formic aldehyde when it may be brought to
dryness. The new compound becomes valuable for various purposes on account of
its being soluble in water without coagulating when boiled.
The alteration undergone by the albumen is best demonstrated in the following
manner:
If the white of egg is diluted with water, the globulines separate out and can be
filtered off.
The filtrate, which contains by far the greater part of the constituents of the
white of egg coagulates in thick flakes as soon as it is brought to boiling point; if,
however, before heating it, formic-aldehyde is added to the solution, it loses its
liability to coagulate and does not regain it even after entire removal of the
formic-aldehyde by repeated distillation with water.
Consequently the albumen which previously was liable to coagulate has formed
a new compound with new properties.
The new product is manufactured as follows:--
4. kilos. of white of eggs are mixed with about 25 grammes of formic-aldehyde
of 40 per cent. and left standing for several days; water is then added and the
solution is boiled, more water being added if necessary until evaporation of the
formic-aldehyde. The solution is then filtered and evaporated at a low temperature
either to the desired concentration, or, in vacuo, to dryness.
It is essential to remove entirely the formic aldehyde, for if the evaporation to
dryness is done in presence of formic aldehyde, the product becomes insoluble in
water.
The principal reactions of the solution are as follows:-
The new albuminous compound is precipitated from it by means of acids; the
precipitate is still soluble in water.
A solution of soda and ammonia produces no precipitate.
Strong alcohol precipitates the product which is still soluble in water even after
having been dried in vacuo. Treatment with acetone produces like effects.

page_text: The solution of the new albuminous compound is yellowish and transparent. It
turns the plane of polarised light to the left and gives the biuret and xanthoproteïn
reaction.
Acetic acid and ferro-cyanide of potassium give a precipitate which is soluble
in excess of acetic acid. No reduction is obtained with ammonia and nitrate of
silver.
Like the white of egg, the albumen of blood and milk as contained in blood
serum or skimmed milk, is transformed by formic aldehyde into new compounds,
which are no longer coagulated by heat and the properties of which are the
same as those mentioned above in respect of the product resulting from white
of egg.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described manufacture of new albuminous compounds, the solution
of which does not coagulate when boiled, by allowing aqueous solutions of white of
egg to act upon formic aldehyde, boiling off the excess of the formic aldehyde, and
finally evaporating the product to dryness at a low temperature.
2. The albuminous compounds obtained as above set forth.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.