A New Antiseptic Material.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Antiseptic Material.
1, SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, (a
communication to me from abroad by The Chemische Fabrik auf Actien vorm.
E. Schering, of 170 Müllerstrasse, Berlin) do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The new antiseptic material herein called formalin is a water-white liquid of
pungent odour and it contains 40% of pure formaldehyde combined with 60% of
water.
Formaldehyde (CH2O) is a gas which as formalin my correspondents have
found to possess energetic anti-bacterial properties, and then research has proved
its efficacy in arresting and destroying putrefaction, resulting from the fermentation
of albuminous and albuminoid tissues.
Experiments have been carried out with a great variety of bacilli and germs of
fevers such as typhoid, typhus, ague, scarlet-fever, measles, small-pox, splenic fever,
cholera and many others.
Formalin has been found to possess more powerful antiseptic action than
corrosive sublimate, carbolic acid and similar known disinfectants. Formalin owing
to its small poisonous effect on the human organism is more suitable and reliable
for the ordinary purposes of disinfection than the other disinfectants above
mentioned.
It has been found that formalin is efficacious and may be applied in a highly
dilute state and that in the proportion of one part to several hundred parts of
water it had very considerable and satisfactory antiseptic power.
Dated this 5th day of April 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Antiseptic Material.
I, SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, (a
communication to me from abroad by The Chemische Fabrik auf Actieu vorm.
E. Schering, of 170 Müllerstrasse, Berlin,) 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':-
The new antiseptic material herein called formalin is a water-white liquid of
pungent odour and it contains 40% of pure formaldehyde combined with 60% of
water.
Formaldehyde (CH,O) is a gas which as formalin my correspondents have found
to possess energetic anti-bacterial properties, and then research has proved its
efficacy in arresting and destroying putrefaction, resulting from the fermentation of
albuminous and albuminoid tissues.
Experiments have been carried out with a great variety of bacilli and germs of
fevers such as typhoid, typhus, ague, scarlet-fever, measles, small-pox, splenic fever,
cholera and many others.
Formalin has been found to possess more powerful antiseptic action than
corrosive sublimate, carbolic acid and similar known disinfectants. Formalin owing
Dai 7

page_text: to its small poisonous effect on the human organism is more suitable and reliable
for the ordinary purposes of disinfection than the other disinfectants above
mentioned.
It has been found that formalin is efficacious and may be applied in a highly
dilute state and that in the proportion of one part to several hundred parts of water
it had very considerable and satisfactory antiseptic power.
The way in which it is preferred to prepare formalin is as follows:-
A current of air drawn by an aspirator is caused to pass over methyl alcohol and
then in contact with copper preferably wire gauze presenting a large surface and
gently heated. The surface should be more or less oxidised. The vapour of
methyl alcohol is, as is well known, under these conditions decomposed into gaseous
formaldehyde. The gas is made to pass through a series of receivers containing
water. It will be found that the water dissolves the gas. The solution is drawn
off when it is saturated to the desired extent; about 40 per cent. being complete
saturation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The new antiseptic material herein called "formalin "
liquified by combination with water.
Deted this and dow of Tamu 1001
being formaldehyde