IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION AND DISINFECTION OF FECAL MATTERS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HAMILTON BROWNE, of the Reform Club, Pall Mall, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Hamilton Browne, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege, and anthority, that I, the said James Hamilton Browne,
my exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Hamilton
Browne, my exors, admiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, enercise, and vend
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the
Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said
Majesty's Colonies.and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE SEPARATION AND DISINFECTION OF FECAL MATTERS, AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," being communicated to me from abroad; in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James Hamilton Browne,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: 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 at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Hamilton Browne, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; are fully set forth and
described, in and by the following description thereof; that is to say :-
The Invention consists,
First, in certain disinfecting agents.
And, second, in the separation of the liquid from the solid matters contained
in cesspools, privies, &c., and in filtration and clarification of such liquid
matters, while the solid matters are thereby rendered applicable as manure.
The chemical disinfecting agents hitherto employed are very imperfect, and
do not fulfil the desired object; for instance, the sulphate of peroxide of iron has
been recommended as being a suitable agent for counteracting the disengage-
ment of free sulphuretted hydrogen in privies. Now, by the use. of this salt
the very evil sought to be remedied is rather increased, for in consequence of
its acid nature a disengagement of large quantities of sulphuretted, hydrogen
and carbonic acid gases takes place, which causes a great deal of froth and
scum to accumulate on the top of the matters acted on. Now, the
processes which I use are as follows:-
First, I combine with or neutralize the sulphuretted and phosphuretted hydro-
gen gases, by means of the impure binoxide of tin, which may be purchased at a
low price.
agents and
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Second, or I employ the subsulphate of peroxide of iron, represented by the
formula (S, O³, F, e² O³, + 6, H, O) which does not contain an excess of acid,
but, on the contrary, being basic as peroxidized completely destroys the sul-
phuretted and phosphuretted hydrogen gases, and prevents froth and scum,
the presence of which indicates a want of success in disinfecting operations.
It also neutralizes the carbonate and hydrosulphate (sulphydrate of ammonia),
which are the only other fetid gases known to arise from privies and cesspools.
Any neutral metallic salt may also be used to fix any gases other than free
sulphuretted and phosphuretted hydrogen, and either the binoxide of tin or the
subsulphate of peroxide of iron may be subsequently introduced to decom-
pose the two gases just mentioned (carbonates and hydrosulphates of ammonia.) 3
Fourth. The saturation or neutralization of the before named metallic salts
may also be effected by the use of the ammoniacal water from gas works.
Fifth. By increasing the proportion of ammoniacal gas water the non-
permanent carbonates and hydrated oxides of iron, of zinc, &c., would be

page_text: precipitated, and thus a good disinfectant may also be obtained. A solid dis-
infecting agent, or one in a state of paste, may be made by mixing either the
subsulphate of iron or stannic acid, or oxichloride of tin, with some
cheap oleaginous matter. Three or four thousandth parts of this paste
would be sufficient to; neutralize or fix the fetid gases contained in fecal
matters.
Sixth. Under the following circumstances the chloride of calcium, a residuum
now lost, resulting from the manufacture of bone. Gelatine makes a good
disinfectant,, all excess of acid being neutralized either by lime or by ammonia-
cal gas liquor. The mictallic salt is then to be added, when, by double decom-
position, are produced sulphate of lime in a very divided state (which will fix
the ammonia of urine) and neutral proto-chloride of iron very economically.
Besides, by the combination of these substances with the chloride of calcium,
a deposit of phosphate of lime takes place, which increases to a great extent
the richness of the fecal matters when converted into manure.
Seventh. The influence of oleaginous matters in the instantaneous disinfec-
tion of putrid matter and excrement has not been sufficiently studied, nor has
the action of fatty bodies upon sulphuretted hydrogen, a gas so much like in its
composition and chemical nature, if not in its physical properties, to the car-
burets of hydrogen. For instance, it has always been supposed that common
oil only tended to cover the fetid matters, and thus, as it were, to imprison those
gases so unhealthy and unpleasant to the smell. This is not going far enough,
and I will show that the results produced have not been properly understood.
Convinced of the highly disinfecting powers possessed by the carburets of
hydrogen, I have endeavored to discover the means of turning their use to
good account. A little reflection will shew that oil and fatty matters have
hitherto been used without regard to economy; in fact, people have gone no
further in many cases than to throw a few quarts of oil over the matters in a
cesspool or privy, a proceeding attended with the following disadvantages:―
First, the difference of specific gravity prevents a mixture taking place; and,
second, the oil only covers the upper layer of matters in the privy, and does
not act at all on the matters in the lower parts, therefore its action is incomplete.
To overcome these disadvantages, first, the difference of specific gravity
between fatty matters and excrement must be adjusted; and, second, the sur-
face for the oily matters to act upon must be considerably increased. I make
an artificial disinfecting fluid, holding an oily substance in solution, and very
finely divided, for which purpose I mix some hundredth parts of oil or fatty
substances with water, which to facilitate union should be made slightly alka-

page_text: line, either by potash, soda, or putrified urine, ammoniacal gas water, &c.
After the fatty substances and water have been intimately mixed, a white
opalescent and lactiform fluid will be produced. According to the quan-
tity of oil. or fat used will be the strength of the disinfecting liquor,
therefore it is not necessary to give an exact scale of proportions. In order
the better to adjust the difference of specific gravity it is preferable to
use the lactiform liquid in combination with one of the metallic salt solu-
tions before described. The metallic salts will, of course, act, and wherever
they penetrate there the oily matter would go with them. If desirable to
increase the density of the lactiform liquid without using the metallic salt,
which causes a change in the color and appearance of the fecal matters, it is
only necessary to substitute for the metallic salt a saline solution or chloride of
calcium (residuum from the manufacture of gelatine from bones), which being
acid requires to be first carefully neutralized. The chloride of calcium resulting
from the manufacture of artificial soda would also answer the same purpose.
I
also use in some cases, together with the lactiform liquid, certain remains left
from the manufacture of sterine, the liquid remaining from the washing and
cleaning of wools, and the remains from the purification of oils, known as oil
finings (feces d'huile). This liquid may be used either alone or together with
metallic or non-metallic salts.
8. Organic matters, while fermenting, arc in a state of continual
movement, resulting from the transformation of a portion of the solids into
gases. In the transformation there is an absorption of heat, without which,
therefore, neither fermentation nor putrefaction can take place. This motion
of particles, due to fermentation, and to the gases resulting therefrom having a
tendency to pass off, is more visible when the fermentable matters contain a
quantity of liquid, as in the case of solid fecal matters mixed with urine.
Thus in a privy the particles are always in motion when above a certain tem-
perature. The inventor has discovered certain means of arresting this fermen-
tation, and of hastening the precipitation of the matters held in suspension, so
that they may be more readily separated. First, fermentation is arrested by
the introduction of onc or other of the disinfecting agents herein-before
described (other known disinfectants may also be employed for this purpose); and,
second, the precipitation and separation of the matters so treated are facilitated
by the disinfectants herein-before described. They generally produce a metallic
sulphate, which by its superior gravity causes the more rapid descent of the
organic matters held in suspension, which in some cases is effected in a few
days, but more generally in a few hours. The liquids are then drawn off by

page_text: any suitable apparatus, and if they cannot be dispersed over the fields may be
thrown away, while the solid portions at the bottom of the privy are taken out
Should the liquid ex-
to be immediately converted. into inodorous manure.
tracted from the privy not have been allowed sufficient time to settle, and before
being thrown away or placed into reservoirs it is..passed through a filter, pre-
ference being given to a filter formed of carbonaceous substances. To the
pipe conveying the urinal liquid into the filter, or that which takes it from the
filter, a small tube, communicating with a vessel on a higher level, and con-
taining the disinfecting liquor, is connected, so that should the disinfectant
thrown into the privy not have penetrated everywhere, and have rendered the
disinfection complete, it may thus be made perfect before the liquid is thrown
away.
Ten. More rapid and perfect clarification or decantation may be effected by
means of any compound of alumina, particularly the double sulphate of alu-
mina and of potash, or the impure sulphate of alumina.
Eleven. Another method of disinfection consists in extracting the matters
from the privy, and disinfecting them in their passage through the pipes. The
annexed Drawing shews a sectional elevation of an apparatus used for this pur-
posc. A is the cesspool or privy containing the fecal matters; B the pipe by
which the matters are drawn up, by means of a suction pump. C, a vessel
containing the disinfecting liquid; D, a pipe which connects the vessel C with
the pipe B. E is a tap for regulating the quantity of disinfectant allowed to
By
flow into the pipe B during the time the matters are being pumped up.
following the processes, one or other of them herein described, the after
manufacture into manure is much more economical, much more rapid, and
there will be much less loss of ammoniacal substances than by any other
means hitherto adopted. A mixture of these solid fecal matters with some dry
carbonaceous powder would ensure a rapid conversion (fifteen days in summer
to one month in winter) of fecal matters into a powdery and permanently
inodorous substance.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is as follows:
First. I claim the separating of the liquid from the solid parts of fecal and
putrid matters, and the disinfecting of fecal and putrid matters by means of
any of the metallic salts herein-before described, whether employed by them-
selves, or in conjunction with the lactiform fluid herein-before described.
Second. I claim the lactiform fluid herein-before described, for the purpose
of disinfecting fecal and putrid matters.

page_text: And, third, I claim the disinfecting of fecal matters while being withdrawn
from a privy or cesspool by means of the apparatus before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hamilton Browne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-one.
J. H. (L.s.) BROWNE.
Enrolled the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.