28 
DAVISON'S INVENTION FOR CURING PROVISIONS. 
DAVISON’S INVENTION FOR CURING PRO¬ 
VISIONS. 
Chance, a few days since, took me to the pack¬ 
ing house of Mr. Davison, in Leroy street in this 
city, and I there saw the apparatus invented by him 
for the salting of meats. This invention is so im¬ 
portant to the agricultural world, that I am induced 
to call attention to it. 
Mr. Davison, prior to his present occupation, was 
long connected with the manufacture of salt; and 
having resided at one period in South America (a 
country with greater capacities for the production 
of the hog and the ox than any other), he had his 
attention very naturally turned to the subject of 
the preservation of meats. The invention now put 
into perfect operation by him is the result of his 
observations in his earlier pursuit, and much 
thought and investigation. Endowed by nature 
with an inventive genius, and having had the bene- 
fit of a good education, together with the scientific 
advice of Dr. Lardner, whom he consulted upon his 
arrival in this country, in reference to this subject, 
he perfected the invention by reducing it to reality 
and successful operation. 
The whole apparatus is perfectly simple. It con¬ 
sists of a large cylinder made air tight. It has a 
mouth-piece through which the meat is put into the 
cylinder. On this mouth-piece is fitted a lid, with 
its surface so adapted to the mouth-piece that no air 
can pass. Strong screws bind it close to the mouth¬ 
piece. On the lid are two air vents with screws to 
open and close them. This cylinder, mouth-piece, 
and lid, are made of the best of iron, with a thick¬ 
ness proportional to their size. 
There is also a large vat to hold brine. This is 
made of wood, and is elevated above the cylinder, 
and connected with it by a pipe. Through the pipe 
the brine passes from the vat to the cylinder. There 
is a lifting pump attached to the cylinder. By it 
the brine is pumped from the cylinder into the vat. 
The meat, being first cut, is placed in the cylin¬ 
der and the brine admitted. When the cylinder is 
filled with the brine, the lid is closed down on the 
mouth-piece and screwed fast. The pump is then 
put into action and the brine carried back to the vat. 
When the brine is all removed fiom the cylinder, 
the meat is in a vacuum; this is obvious, for the 
brine had of course expelled the air; the cylinder 
and closed lid, being air-tight, did not permit the air 
to return when the brine was withdrawn. The 
meat, being in a vacuum, parts with all the blood, 
air, and gases which may be contained within it 
—these escape into the vacuum of the cylinder. 
The brine is now again introduced, and when the 
meat is covered, the air-vents in the lid are opened, 
and the brine drives out all the air and gases which 
had escaped from the meat. When the cylinder is 
full of brine, the air-vents are closed, and the brine 
is pumped into the vat, and the meats are again in 
vacuum. Again blood, air, and gases escape into 
the vacuum. The brine is again introduced, and 
the meat covered; the air-vents are then opened 
and the air and gases escape from the cylinder, and 
the cylinder is filled with brine. The brine is with¬ 
drawn and returned again and again until the ope¬ 
ration is completed. The interval of withdrawing 
and returning is short at first; but when the blood, 
air, and gases are expelled from the meat, the brine 
is allowed to rema n on the meat for some hours, 
say four to eight. After the blood, air, and gases 
are expelled, and the meat has remained in the 
brine for six or eight hours, it is cured. The whole 
process will require about twelve hours. 
The principle on which the method acts is that 
of a pressure upon the meat in a vacuum. In its 
ordinary condition the meat is filled with blood, 
air, and gases; when immersed in brine, in the 
ordinary process, these, by their resisting power, 
prevent the brine from entering the meat; the 
blood has an affinity with the brine, and leaves the 
meat to unite with it. The pressure of the water 
and its specific gravity being greater than that oi 
the air and gases, the air and gases rise to the sur¬ 
face and escape, and the brine takes their place. 
To do this, however, takes time, and about six 
weeks are found necessary to accomplish it. When, 
however, the meat is in a vacuum, the blood, air, 
and gases escape at once; being escaped, the brine 
exerts its pressure, and the meat is charged at once. 
This pressure in the ordinary method of curing is 
nothing more than that which arises from tha 
weight and pressure of the quantity of brine neces¬ 
sary to cover the meat. In the cylinder, the meat, 
when the blood, air, and gases have been separated 
from it in the vacuum, can be subjected to an illimi¬ 
table amount of pressure. To do this, nothing 
more is necessary than the elevation of the vat 
Connected as is the vat by a pipe to the cylinder, 
the pressure is in proportion to the elevation of the 
vat. By means of the vacuum the meat is freed from 
all the means of resistance to the entrance of fh* 
brine; and the pressure of the brine may be carried 
to any extent that the meat will bear without col¬ 
lapsing. When in vacuum it is swollen, its fibre dis¬ 
tended and pores open, and it readily admits the brine 
even at the simple pressure of the mere quantity of 
brine which the cylinder will hold. In this matter, 
experience has taught that the pressure of a single 
atmosphere is the most effective; a greater one tends 
to close the pores of the vacated meat, and a triple 
atmospheric pressure completely closes them, to the 
exclusion of the brine. The whole secret of the 
action of this method is, that the vacuum fits the 
meat at once to admit the brine; and the pressure, 
if not too great, at once forces the brine into the va¬ 
cated pores, and this done, the meat is cured. By 
the use of the vacuum, the natural process is short¬ 
ened from weeks to hours, and the meat is cured 
at least as perfectly; indeed far more perfectly. 
Such is Mr. Davison’s process. He has patented 
it, and deserves, for his ingenuity scientifically ap¬ 
plied, to reap a rich harvest. Rich as it may be, it 
will be but the faint shadow of the one to be reaped 
by this great meat-raising, curing, and eating coun¬ 
try. 
The advantage of a rapid curing of meat in a per¬ 
fect manner, is obvious to every one. But there are 
numerous advantages beside. Let me enumerate 
them. 
All meats salted and cured in the ordinary method, 
require two packings to pass inspection, and for fam¬ 
ily use. When the meat is cured, which will be at the 
end of six weeks or two months, the brine is bloody 
and foul. In the large packing and inspection estab¬ 
lishments, the meat is re-packed, and the first brine is 
thrown away. With the vacuum process, the meat 
