forty centuries of ink-第25节

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INKWATTENBACH'S　GERMAN　TREATISE　ON　THE

ARCHIVES　OF　THE　MIDDLE　AGESWILLIAM　INGLIS

CLARK　ATTEMPTS　TO　PLACE　THE　MANUFACTURE　OF　INK

ON　A　SCIENTIFIC　BASISSUBMITS　HIS　VALUABLE

RESEARCHES　AND　DEDUCTIONS　TO　THE　ENINBURGH

UNIVERSITY　IN　1879SCHLUTTIG　AND　NEUMANN　IN

1890　ESTABLISH　A　STANDARD　FORMULA　FOR　IRON

AND　GALL　INKNAMES　OF　SOME　INK　INVESTIGATORS

OF　THE　NINETEENTH　CENTURY。



DR。　JAMES　STARK；　a　famous　chemist；　submitted　the

results　of　twenty…three　years　of　investigations　of　writing

inks　in　a　paper　read　by　him　in　1855　before　the

Society　of　Arts；　in　Edinburg；　Scotland。　The　following

is　the　abstract　as　printed　by　the　London　Artisan

at　the　time：



〃The　author　stated　that　in　1842　he　commenced

a　series　of　experiments　on　writing　inks；　and　up　to

this　date　（1855）；　had　manufactured　229　different

inks；　and　had　tested　the　durability　of　writings　made

with　these　on　all　kinds　of　paper。　As　the　result

of　his　experiments　be　showed　that　the　browning

and　fading　of　inks　resulted　from　many　causes；

but　in　ordinary　inks　chiefly　from　the　iron　becoming

peroxygenated　and　separating　as　a　heavy

precipitate。　Many　inks；　therefore；　when　fresh　made；

yielded　durable　writings；　but　when　the　ink　became

old；　the　tanno…gallate　of　iron　separated；　and

the　durability　of　the　ink　was　destroyed。　From　a

numerous　set　of　experiments　the　author　showed

that　no　salt　of　iron　and　no　precipitate　of　iron

equalled　the　common　sulphate　of　ironthat　is；

the　commercial　copperasfor　the　purpose　of　ink…

making；　and　that　even　the　addition　of　any　persalt；

such　as　the　nitrate　or　chloride　of　iron；　though

it　improved　the　present　color　of　the　ink；　deteriorated

its　durability。　The　author　failed　to　procure

a　persistent　black　ink　from　manganese；　or　other

metal　or　metallic　salt。　The　author　exhibited　a　series

of　eighteen　inks　which　had　either　been　made

with　metallic　iron　or　with　which　metallic　iron　had

been　immersed；　and　directed　attention　to　the　fact

that　though　the　depth　and　body　of　color　seemed　to

be　deepened；　yet　in　every　case　the　durability　of

writings　made　with　such　inks　was　so　impaired　that

they　became　brown　and　faded　in　a　few　months。

The　most　permanent　ordinary　inks　were　shown　to

be　composed　of　the　best　blue　gall　nuts　with　copperas

and　gum；　and　the　proportions　found　on　experiment

to　yield　the　most　persistent　black　were

six　parts　of　best　blue　galls　to　four　parts　of　copperas。

Writings　made　with　such　an　ink　stood　exposure

to　sun　and　air　for　twelve　months　without

exhibiting　any　change　of　color；　while　those　made

with　inks　of　every　other　proportion　or　composition

had　more　or　less　of　their　color　discharged　when

similarly　tested。　This　ink；　therefore；　if　kept　from

moulding　and　from　depositing　its　tanno…gallate　of

iron；　would　afford　writings　perfectly　durable。　It

was　shown　that　no　gall　and　logwood　ink　was　equal

to　the　pure　gall　ink　in　so　far　as　durability　in　the

writings　was　concerned。　All　such　inks　were　exhibited

which；　though　durable　before　the　addition

of　logwood；　faded　rapidly　after　logwood　was　added

to　them。　Sugar　was　shown　to　have　an　especially

hurtful　action　on　the　durability　of　inks　containing

logwoodindeed；　on　all　inks。　Many　other　plain

inks　were　exhibited；　and　their　properties　described

as　gallo…sumach　ink；　myrabolams　ink；　Runge's　ink；

inks　in　which　the　tanno…gallate　of　iron　was　kept

in　solution　by　nitric；　muriatic；　sulphuric；　and　other

acids；　or　by　oxalate　of　potash；　chloride　of　lime；

etc。　The　myrabolams　was　recommended　as　an　ink

of　some　promise　for　durability；　and　as　the　cheapest

ink　it　was　possible　to　manufacture。　All　ordinary

inks；　however；　were　shown　to　have　certain　drawbacks；

and　the　author　endeavored　to　ascertain　by

experiment　whether　other　dark　substances　could　be

added　to　inks　to　impart　greater　durability　to　writings

made　with　them；　and　at　the　same　time　prevent

those　chemical　changes　which　were　the　cause　of　ordinary

inks　fading。　After　experimenting　with　various

substances；　and　among　others　with　Prussian

blue　and　indigo　dissolved　in　various　ways；　he　found

the　sulphate　of　indigo　to　fulfil　all　the　required

conditions　and；　when　added　in　the　proper　proportion

to　a　tanno…gallate　of　iron　ink；　it　yielded　an　ink

which　is　agreeable　to　write　with；　which　flows　freely

from　the　pen　and　does　not　clog　it；　which　never

moulds；　which；　when　it　dries　on　the　paper；　becomes

of　an　intense　pure　black；　and　which　does　not　fade

or　change　its　color　however　long　kept。　The　author

pointed　out　the　proper　proportions　for　securing　those

properties；　and　showed　that　the　smallest　quantity

of　the　sulphate　of　indigo　which　could　be　used　for

this　purpose　was　eight　ounces　for　every　gallon　of

ink。　The　author　stated　that　the　ink　he　preferred

for　his　own　use　was　composed　of　twelve　ounces　of

gall；　eight　ounces　of　sulphate　of　indigo；　eight

ounces　of　copperas；　a　few　cloves；　and　four　or

six　ounces　of　gum　arabic；　for　a　gallon　of　ink。

It　was　shown　that　immersing　iron　wire　or　filings

in　these　inks　destroyed　ordinary　inks。　He

therefore　recommended　that　all　legal　deeds　or

documents　should　be　written　with　quill　pens；　as　the

contact　of　steel　invariably　destroys　more　or　less

the　durability　of　every　ink。　The　author　concluded

his　paper　with　a　few　remarks　on　copying　inks　and

indelible　inks；　showing　that　a　good　copying　ink　has

yet　to　be　sought　for；　and　that　indelible　inks；　which

will　resist　the　pencilings　and　washings　of　the　chemist

and　the　forger；　need　never　be　looked　for。〃



Professor　Leonhardi；　of　Dresden；　who　had　given　much

attention　to　the　subject　of　inks；　introduced　in　1855

what　he　termed　a　NEW　ink；　and　named　it　〃alizarine

ink；〃　alizarin　being　a　product　obtained　from　the　madder

root；　which　he　employed　for　〃added〃　color　in　a

tanno…gallate　of　iron　solution。　It　possessed　some

merit　due　to　its　fluidity；　and　for　a　time　was　quite　popular；

but　gradually　gave　place　to　the　so…called　chemical

writing　fluids；　it　is　now　obsolete。



Champour　and　Malepeyre；　Paris；　1856；　issued　a

joint　manual；　〃Fabrication　des　Encres；〃　devoted　almost

exclusively　to　the　manufacture　of　inks　and　compiles

many　old　〃gall〃　and　other　ink　formulas。



In　1856　Dr。　Chilton　of　New　York　City　published

the　results　of　ink　experiments　which　he　had　made。

The　accompanying　extracts　are　taken　from　the　local

press　of　the　month　of　April　of　that　year：



〃Some　ingenious　experiments　to　test　the　durability

of　writing　inks　have　recently　been　made　by

Dr。　Chilton；　of　New　York　City。　He　exposed　a

manuscript　written　with　four　different　inks　of　the

principal　makers；　of　this　and　other　countries；　to　the

constant　action　of　the　weather　upon　the　roof　of　his

laboratory。　After　an　exposure　of　over　five　months；

the　paper　shows　the　different　kind　of　writing　in

various　shades　of　color。　The　English　sample；

Blackwood's；　well　known　and　popular　from　the

neat　and　convenient　way　that　it　is　prepared　for

this　market；　was　quite　indistinct。



〃The　American　samples；　David's；　Harrison's

and　Maynard's　are　better。　The　first　appears　to

retain　its　original　shade　very　neatly；　the　two　last

are　paler。　This　test　shows　conclusively　the　durability

of　ink；　and　while；　for　many　purposes；　school

and　the　like；　an　ink　that　will　stand　undefaced　a

year　or　so；　is　all　that　is　necessary；　yet　there　is

hardly　a　bottle　of　ink　sold；　some　of　which　may　not

be　used　in　the　signature　or　execution　of　papers　that

may　be　important　to　be　legible　fifty　or　one　hundred

years　hence。



〃For　state　and　county　offices；　probate　records；

etc。；　it　is　of　vital　importance　that　the　records　should

be　legible　centuries　hence。　We　believe　that　some

of　the　early　manuscripts　of　New　England　are

brighter　than　some　town　and　church　records　of　this

century。



〃In　Europe　at　the　present　time；　great　care　is

taken　by　the　different　governments　in　the　preparation

of　permanent　inksome　of　them　even　compounding

their　own；　according　to　the　most　approved

and　expensive　formulas。



〃Manuscripts　of　the　eleventh　and　twelfth　centuries

now　in　the　state　paper　office　of　Great　Britain；

are　apparently　as　bright　as　when　first　written；

while　those　of　the　last　two　hundred　years　are　more

or　less　illegible；　and　some　of　them　entirely　obliterated。〃



While　the　information　sought　to　be　conveyed　in　the

last　statement　may　be　in　some　respects　correct；　it　must

be　remembered　that　most　of　the　MSS。　extant　dating　before

the　thirteenth　century　were　written　in　〃Indian〃

ink；　while　the　great　majority　of　those　of　the　last　two

hundred　years　were　not；　and　this　fact　alone　would

account　to　some　extent　for　the　differences　mentioned。



The　German　（Prussian）　government　in　1859；　as　the

result　of　an　investigation；　employed　what　they　termed

〃Official　Ink　of　the　First　Class；〃　i。　e。；　a　straight　tanno…

gallate　of　iron　ink　without　added　color；　and　if　permanence

were　required　as　against　removal　by　chemicals；

it　was　accomplished　by　writing　on　paper　saturated

with　chromates　and　ultramarine。



In　187