IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WOOD CASKS OR VESSELS OR STAVES THEREOF FOR THE STORING AND PRESERVATION OF BEER, WINE, SPIRITS, AND OTHER LIQUIDS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Dixon, of 20, Charterhouse Square, in
the City of London, Analytical Chemist, for the Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WOOD CASKS OR VESSELS OR STAVES
THEREOF FOR THE STORING AND PRESERVATION OF BEER, WINE, SPIRITS, AND
OTHER LIQUIDS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Dixon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd July 1875.
I, FREDERIC DIXON, of 20, Charterhouse Square, in the City of
London, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF WOOD CASKS OR VESSELS
OR STAVES THEREOF FOR THE STORING AND PRESERVATION OF BEER, WINE, SPIRITS,
AND OTHER LIQUIDS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
In the employment of wood casks or vessels for the storing of beer

page_text: wine, and other liquids, the tannın contained in the wood has an
injurious effect on the liquid contained therein. In order to remedy
this evil I boil the staves to form the casks or vessels in a solution of
hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, in order to remove sufficient of the
tannin contained in them to prevent such tannın causing secondary
fermentation in the beer, wine, or other liquid contained therein when
made into casks or vessels. Or when treating new wood casks or vessels
I sometimes pour therein a solution of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid,
either hot or cold, and this solution is allowed to remain therein until a
]
sufficient quantity of the tannin is removed from the wood
The proportion of acid I find to answer well is about 1 part of acid to
500 parts of water.
Into wood casks or vessels to contain beer or similar liquids made of
staves thus treated I pour a saturated boiling solution of salicylic acid,
and add sufficient bisulphite of soda to neutralize the hydrochloric acid
used in the previous process, and the cask or vessel is agitated so as to
bring all parts into contact with the solution. When cold the residuum
may be removed from the cask or vessel, leaving the larger proportion
of salicylic acid and bisulphite of soda behind in combination with the
acid previously absorbed by the cask staves
When treating casks or vessels or staves to be formed into such
vessels to contain wines, spirits, or similar liquids, instead of bisulphite
of soda, I add bisulphite of potash to the salicylic acid solution By thus
treating staves and casks or vessels to contain beer, wine, or other
liquids, I am enabled to prevent or arrest the formation of aldehyde or
acetic fermentation, or further oxidation in the beer, wine, or other
liquid contained therein.
I also treat wood casks or vessels that have been used to contain beer,
wines, spirits, or other similar liquids after cleansing in the ordinary
manner, with a solution of salicylic acid and bisulphite of soda or potash
as before described, in order to arrest or prevent the formation of fungus
or decay of the wood.
In some cases it will be sufficient to treat the wood casks or vessels
intended to be stored empty with a cold solution of salicylic acid and
bisulphite of soda or bisulphite of potash.
In order to effect the preservation of animal and vegetable substances
I immerse such substances in a saturated solution of salicylic acid to

page_text: of sodium.
When it is desired further to increase the solubility of the salicylic
acid I add to the solution a small quantity of glycerine, either in
substitution of or in addition to the chloride of sodium.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
"
filed by the said Frederic Dixon in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 22nd January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
DIXON, of 20, Charterhouse Square, in the City of London, Analytical
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth ycar of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Frederic Dixon, Her special license,
that I, the said Frederic Dixon, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederic Dixon, 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 TREATMENT OF WOOD CASKS OR VESSELS OR STAVES THEREOF FOR THE
STORING AND PRESERVATION OF BEER, WINE, SPIRITS, AND OTHER LIQUIDS, PART
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL
AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Frederic Dixon, my exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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
calender months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patont

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said Frederic Dixon, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In the employment of wood casks or vessels for the storing of beer,
winc, and other liquids, the extractive matter such as "tannın" con-
tained in the wood has an injurious effect on the liquid contamed
therein. In order to remedy this evil I immerse the staves to form the
casks or vessels in a highly heated solution of hydrochloric or sulphuric
acid, say to a temperature of about 212° Fahrenheit, in order to remove
sufficicnt of such extractivo matter contained in them, and thereby to
prevent such extractive matter from causing secondary fermentation in
beer, wine, or other liquid contained in casks or vessels formed of such
staves. Or when treating new wood casks or vessels I in some instances
pour therein a solution of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid either hot or
cold, and this solution is allowed to remain therein until a sufficient
quantity of the matter to be extracted from the wood has become

page_text: First. The treatment of wood casks or vessels or staves thereof for the
storing and preservation of beer, wine, spirits, and other liquids, by the
use of a solution of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid and salicylic acid
together (except in the case of those for vinegar), with a bisulphite or
with bisulphites in manner as described.
Secondly. I claim the use of salicylic acid in the preservation of
animal and vegetable substances as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Dixon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.