Bowie's discovery is described in Pharmaceutical Formulas (London 10th Ed. 1946, II). A carefully prepared mixture of phosphates was added to salt, reducing the chloride content and making the salt less prone to absorbing moisture.

At the time of his discovery the Dutch Indian Government were offering a prize of 10,000 florins to anyone to anyone who could produce a method of preparing and packaging dry salt - it seems that he was not aware of this as the prize was never claimed.

George Weddell qualified in Edinburgh and went to London and Paris for additional experience before joining Joseph Wilson Swan. He later became a proprietor, and the pharmacy traded as Mawson, Swan & Weddell. Weddell's own salt business was to take up his time and the pharmaceutical business was amalgamated with that of Proctor, Son & Clague becoming Mawson and Proctor Ltd.

Weddell improved Bowie's invention by estimating the amount of calcium and magnesium chlorides in a batch of salt, and calculating the quantity of sodium carbonate and phosphates needed to convert these into dry carbonates and phosphates. The salt was then dried at 100°C producing a free-flowing salt.

Weddell called this Cerebos, and was able to rapidly gain a market. He built a factory at Seaton Carew near Hartlepool and the salt deposits there. In order to mine rock salt existing below the earth's surface, water was added to make salty water - brine. This was then pumped to surface and dried using the open-pan method.

It is said that Weddell's inspiration was his daughter, who was a sickly child. In order to strengthen her bones and teeth, he mixed magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate into her salt.

Cerebos Salt grew and employed a manager, chemist, engineer and small group of workers for packing. They soon appointed William Colllins as salesman (he later became chairman, a millionaire and was knighted). The company also sold baking powder and health salts. By 1896 they had salesmen working throughout the UK, they sent samples to doctors and chemists for comment and so the name spread. In 1898 they moved to larger premises. In 1900 small traces of arsenic found in the phosphates they were using caused alarm, but the amounts involved were found to be very small and steps were taken to remove impurities.

The company gave away salt cellars and spoons in return for coupons placed in the tins of salt. In 1904 they became Cerebos Salt Ltd. In 1906 the manufacturing moved to Greatham where wells were drilled to bring brine to the surface.

George Weddell died in 1916 and William Collins took over. In 1919 Cerebos Salt Ltd bought Middlewich Salt Co Ltd, giving them a total labour force of 850 women and 150 men. After the Second World War new methods of production came in, Cerebos took over more companies and is now part of RHM foods group.