forty centuries of ink-第31节

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wash。　In　it　the　black　particles　are　suspended　in

water　by　the　addition　of　gum。　This　kind　of　ink

has　an　affinity　for　oxygen；　and　hence　it　oxidizes

and　turns　black。　When　unadulterated　it　only　becomes

blacker　with　the　passage　of　time；　and　cannot

be　washed　from　the　paper　by　the　use　of　water。'



〃　'I　could　show　you；'　continued　Mr。　Carvalho；

'public　records　of　this　city　made　within　forty

years　which　are　entirely　illegible　and　consequently

worthless；　because　cheap　inks　were　used　in　the

writing。　These　include　not　only　records　of　wills

in　the　Surrogate's　office；　but　entries　and　transfers

of　real　estate　which　are　likely　to　come　up　in　the

course　of　litigation　at　any　time；　thereby　affecting

the　rights　of　many　citizens。



〃　'I　can　tell　you　at　once　upon　seeing　an　old

document　the　character　of　the　ink　that　was　used　in

the　writing；　and　I　have　seen　many　old　papers　over

a　hundred　years　of　age　in　which　the　writing　was

as　clear　as　the　day　it　was　made；　simply　because　a

good　writing　ink　was　used。　On　the　other　hand

writing　made　with　cheap　aniline　ink　may　under

certain　circumstances　fade　out　within　a　year；　and

in　a　book　which　is　much　handled　is　almost　certain

to　be　rubbed　out　in　time。



〃　'It　has　frequently　happened　that　in　the　course

of　litigation；　especially　over　real　estate；　that　old

records　made　with　poor　inks　have　been　produced

which　the　court　refused　to　accept　as　evidence；

thereby　depriving　some　citizen　of　his　rights。　At

the　present　time　many　officials　in　this　state；　in

fact；　the　majority　of　them；　are　using　these　cheap

and　worthless　inks　and　the　records　they　are　making

will　be　of　little　or　no　value　in　a　few　years。



〃　'It　is　to　put　a　stop　to　this　abuse　that　the　present

bill　has　been　drawn　up；　and　there　is　no　argument

which　can　be　raised　against　it。'　〃



It　appears　that　there　was　one；　however；　as　the　bill

failed　to　pass　for　the　stated　reason　that　it　came　under

the　head　of　〃class〃　legislation。　The　great　state　and

city　of　New　York　with　costly　and　magnificent　depositories

continue　to　place　in　them；　for　safe…keeping；

valuable　records　and　other　ink…written　instruments

which　will　become　illegible　before　the　present　century

comes　to　an　end。



Professor　Lehner；　a　German　chemist；　in　1890　published

a　treatise　〃Die　Tinten…Fabrikation；〃　which　has

been　translated　and　added　to　by　Dr。　Brannt；　of　Philadelphia；

editor　of　〃The　Techno…Chemical　Receipt…Book；〃　who　remarks：



〃The　lack　of　a　recent　treatise　in　the　English

language　containing　detailed　descriptions　of　the　raw

materials　and　receipts　for　the　preparation　of　Inks；

and　the　apparent　necessity；　as　shown　by　frequent

inquiries；　for　such　a　volume；　were　the　considerations

which　led　to　the　preparation　of　The　Manufacture　of　Ink。〃



This　work　compiles　a　great　number　of　formulas；

and　rather　favors　the　views　of　the　chemist　Dr。　Bostock

respecting　the　iron　and　gall　inks。　The　book

possesses　value　for　reference　purposes　to　the　manufacturer。



Auguste　Peret；　author　of　〃The　Manufacture　of　Ink；〃

1891；　has　put　together　a　lot　of　excellent　material　relative

to　ink…making　and　valuable　for　reference　purposes。



The　late　Dr。　William　E。　Hagan　of　Troy；　New　York；

in　1894　issued　his　book；　〃Disputed　Hand…writing。〃

He　devotes　two　chapters　to　the　discussion　of　ancient

and　modern　inks　and　their　chemistry。　He　has　been

kind　enough　to　quote　the　writer　as　the　first　to　remove

ink　in　open　court　with　chemicals　in　order　to　determine

the　existence　of　pencil　writing　beneath　the　ink。

The　pencil　being　carbon　was　not　affected　thereby　and

with　the　subsequent　restoration　of　the　bleached　ink

by　the　use　of　the　correct　re…agent。



In　the　same　year　Dr。　Persifor　Frazer　of　Philadelphia

published　his　〃Manual　of　the　Study　of　Documents。〃

A　few　pages　are　given　to　the　study　of　inks；

and　a　part　thereof　is　devoted　to　the　researches　of

Carre；　Hager；　Baudrimont；　Tarry；　Chevallier　and

Lassaigne；　to　determine　suspected　forgeries。　The

chapter　on　〃the　sequence　in　crossed　lines；〃　where　he

indicates　his　method　of　determining　which　of　two

crossed　ink　lines　was　written　first；　is　both　original　and

a　real　contribution　to　science。



Alfred　H。　Allen；　F。　C。　S。；　of　England；　perhaps　the

highest　authority　on　the　subject　of　tannins；　dyes　and

coloring　matters　in　his　〃Commercial　Organic　Analysis；〃

revised　and　edited　by　Professor　J。　Merritt　Mathews

of　Pennsylvania；　edition　of　1900；　devotes　eight

pages　to　the　subject　of　the　〃Examination　of　Ink

Marks。〃　He　says：



〃Ordinary　writing　ink　was　formerly　always

made　from　a　decoction　of　galls；　to　which　green

vitriol　was　added。　Of　late；　the　composition　of

writing　inks　has　become　far　less　constant；　aniline

and　other　dyes　being　frequently　employed；　and

other　metallic　salts　substituted　for　the　ferrous…

sulphate　formerly　invariably　used。　The　best　black

ink　is　a　tanno…gallate　of　iron；　obtained　by　adding

an　infusion　of　nut…galls　to　a　solution　of　ferrous…

sulphate　（copperas）。〃



In　1897　the　author　in　a　paper　read　before　the　New

York　State　Bar　Association　at　Albany；　entitled　〃A

Plea　for　the　Preservation　of　the　Public　Records；〃　discussed

the　question　of　the　stability　of　inks　and　their

phenomena　and　took　occasion　to　make　recommendations

as　to　their　constitution　and　future　methods　of

employment。　A　vote　of　thanks　was　adopted　and　the

association　referred　the　paper　to　the　Committee　on

Law　Reform；　where　no　doubt　it　still　slumbers。







CHAPTER　XVI。



ENDURING　INK。



ASCERTAINMENT　OF　A　CORRECT　INK　FORMULA　THE　WORK

OF　OVER　A　CENTURYCHARACTER　OF　THE　EVIDENCE

WHICH　ESTABLISHES　ITTHE　INVESTIGATIONS　OF

THE　AUTHOR　IN　THIS　DIRECTION　AND　COMPARISON

WITH　THOSE　OF　COMMISSIONER　SWANELIMINATION

OF　THE　〃ADDED〃　COLORS　AND　THEIR　ORIGIN

DISCUSSION　OF　THE　RELATIVE　MERITS　OF　LAMPBLACK；

MADDER　AND　INDIGOTHE　DURABLE　VIRTUES　OF

INDIGO　WHEN　EMPLOYED　ALONECAUSE　OF　THE

BROWNING　OF　INKSLONGEVITY　OF　INK　DUE　TO

VEHICLE　WHICH　CARRIES　ITWHEN　PERFECT　INK

WILL　BE　INVENTED。



TO　ascertain　the　correct　formula　of　a　substantially

permanent　ink；　as　we　have　learned；　has　been　the　aim

during　a　century　or　more；　of　able　chemists；　manufacturers

and　laymen。　Their　experiments　and　study　of

ancient　and　modern　documents　all　point　unerringly

in　the　direction　of　an　ink　containing　iron　and　galls。



Accumulated　evidence　may　be　said　to　establish

itself　in　the　light　of　investigation　and　experience　and

becomes　more　and　more　a　certainty　when　considered；

reviewed　and　discussed　in　connection　with　a　chronological

history　of　the　〃gall〃　inks　since　they　came

into　semi…official　and　other　uses　centuries　ago。

Descriptions　of　MSS。　containing　ink　writings　hundreds

of　years　old；　many　of　them　as　legible　as　when　first

written；　are　silent　witnesses　whose　testimony　cannot

be　assailed。　Such　information　when　assembled

together　minimizes　many　of　the　conditions　which　have

existed　and　interposed　in　preventing　during　the　last

four　decades　a　general　adoption　or　re…adoption　of

such　a　tanno…gallate　of　iron　ink；　the　lasting　qualities

of　which　some　of　our　forefathers　estimated　would；

and　as　we　know　have　stood　the　test　of　time。



Assuming　this　character　of　ink　to　have　been　employed

in　past　centuries；　the　cause　or　causes　for　the

differentiations　in　respect　to　color　and　durability　become

of　paramount　importance。



The　investigations　of　the　writer　in　this　direction；

while　in　some　respects　traveling　the　same　road　followed

by　others；　diverged　from　them　and　has　been

more　in　the　nature　of　a　comparative　analytical　and

microscopic　examination　of　ancient　with　ancient　and

modern　with　modern　documents　in　connection　with

numerous　chemical　experiments；　the　manufacture　of

hundreds　of　inks　and　the　study　of　their　time　and

other　phenomena。



To　accomplish　this；　ancient　documents　not　written

with　〃Indian〃　ink；　but　with　those　obviously　containing

combinations　of　iron　and　galls　or　other　tannins；

were　selected　and　grouped　into　color　families。

They　began　with　the　fourteenth　century；　continuing

well　into　the　nineteenth；　to　the　number　of　nearly

four　hundred；　each　of　them　of　a　different　date

and　different　year。　Some　of　them　were　so　pale

and　indistinct　as　to　be　illegible；　others　less　so

and　by　gradual　steps　they　approached　to　a　definite

black；　many　of　them　as　rich　and　deep　in　color　as　if

they　had　been　written　not　centuries　ago　but　within

a　few　years。　Signatures　on　the　same　document　represented

different　degrees　of　color；　so　that　the　question

of　the　material　on　which　the　writing　appeared　affecting

the　appearance　of　the　ink；　was　not　a　factor；　but

the　difference　in　the　inks　used　to　make　the　signatures

was　the　determining　factor。



At　this　point　it　may　be　noted　that　the　investigations

conducted　by　Mr。　Swan　before　referred　to　and　those

by　the　writer　and　the　resultant　observations　of　each

were　substantially　alike。　Many　of　the　writer's；　however；

preceded　those　of　Mr。　Swan's；　for　during　the

years　1885　and　1886；