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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

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