forty centuries of ink-第65节
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century by Vladimir the Great； brought with it many
words of Greek origin。 Printing was introduced there
about the middle of the sixteenth century。 The oldest
printed book which has been discovered is a Sclavonic
psalter； the date Kiev； 1551； two years after a press
was established in Moscow。
It is said that the skins of 300 sheep were used in
every copy of the first printed Bible。 Hence the old
saying； 〃It takes a flock of sheep to write a book。〃
What would have been the comment in olden times；
to learn that it takes almost a forest of trees to print
the Sunday edition of some of our great newspapers？
Wax （shoemakers'） was first employed on
documents A。 D。 1213； although it was white wax which
was used to seal the magna charta； granted to the
English barons by King John； A。 D。 1215。 In 1445
red wax was much employed in England； but the earliest
specimen of red sealing wax extant is found on
a letter dated August 3； 1554。
Pliny enumerates and describes eight different
kinds of papyrus paper：
1。 Charter hieraticasacred paper； used only for
books on religion。 From adulation of Augustus it
was also called charta augusta and charta livia。
2。 Charta amphitheatricafrom the place where it
was fabricated。
3。 Charta fanniafrom Fannius； the manufacturer。
4。 Charta saiticafrom Sais in Egypt。 This appears
to have been a coarser kind。
5。 Charta toenioticafrom the place where made；
now Damietta。 This was also of a less fine quality。
6。 Charta claudia。 This was an improvement of
the charta hieratica； which was too fine。
7。 Charta emporitica。 A coarse paper for parcels。
There was also a paper called macrocollum； which
was of a very large size。
Of all these； he says； the charta claudia was the best。
The ink…written rolls of papyrus were placed vertically
in a cylindrical box called capsula。 It is very
evident that a great number of such volumes might
be comprised in this way within a small space； and
this may tend to explain the smallness of the rooms
which are considered to have been used for containing
the ancient libraries。
At Mentz； in Upper Germany； is a leaf of parchment
on which are fairly written twelve different kinds of
handwritings in six different inks also a variety of
miniatures and drawings curiously done with a pen
by one Theodore Schubiker； who was born without
hands and performed the work with his feet。
In Rome the very plate of brass on which the laws
of the ten tables are written is still to be seen。
Stylographic inks should not be used upon records；
most of them are aniline。 The absence of solid matter；
which makes them desirable for the stylographic
pen； unfits them for records。
Never add water to ink。 While an ink which has
water as its base might； under certain conditions bear
the addition of an amount equal to that lost by evaporation；
as a rule the ink particles which have become
injured will not assimilate again。
One of the best methods to cleanse a steel pen after
use； is to stick it in a raw （white） potato。
Inks which are recommended as permanent； because
water will not remove them； while it does immediately
obliterate others； may not be permanent as against
time。 These inks may be the best for monetary purposes；
but； owing to an excess of acid in them； may
be dangerous in time to the paper。
It is interesting； since coal tar has acquired so important
a position in the arts； to trace how its various
products successively rose in value。 The prices in
Paris； as given by M。 Parisal in 1861； are as follows：
Coal；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1/4 c。 per lb。
Coal tar；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3/4 〃 〃
Heavy coal oil；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 2 1/2 a 3 3/4 〃 〃
Light coal oil；。。。。。。。。。。。。。 6 3/4 a 10 1 /4 〃 〃
Benzole；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 10 1/2 a 13 〃 〃
Crude nitro…benzole；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 57 a 61 〃 〃
Rectified nitro…benzole；。。。。。。。。。。。。 82 a 96 〃 〃
Ordinary aniline；。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3。27 a 4。90 〃 〃
Liquid aniline violet；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 28 a 41 〃 〃
Carmine aniline violet；。。。。。。。 32 c。 a 1。92 〃
Pure aniline violet； in powder；。。。。 245 a 326。88 〃
The last is equal to the price of gold。 And so； says
M。 Parisal； from coal； carried to its tenth power； we
have gold； the diamond is to come。
Modern chemistry offers many formulas and
methods of rendering visible secret or sympathetic
inks。 Writing made with any of the following solutions；
and permitted to dry； is invisible。 Treatment
by the means cited will render them visible。
Solution。 After treatment。 Color produced。
Acetate of lead。 Sulphuret of potassiurin。 Brown。
Gold in nitrohydroChloric acid。 Tin in same acid。 Purple。
Nut…galls。 Sulphate of iron。 Black。
Dilute sulphuric acid。 Heat。 Black。
Cobalt in dilute Heat。 Green。
nitrohydrochloric acid。
Lemon juice。 Heat。 Brown。
Oxide of copper in Heat。 Blue。
acetic acid and salt
Nitrate of bismuth。 Infusions of Nutgalls。 Brown。
Common starch。 Iodine in alcohol。 Purple。
Colorless iodine。 Chloride of lime。 Brown。
Phenolphtalin。 Alkaline solution。 Red。
Vanadium。 Pyrogallic acid。 Purple。
The Patent Office at Washington； D。 C。； for more
than forty years employed a violet copying ink made
of logwood。 From 1853 until 1878 it was furnished
by the Antoines of Paris； of the brand termed
〃Imperial；〃 in later years it was supplied by the Fabers。
Since 1896 they have been using 〃combined〃 writing
fluids。
The following facts elicited by the unrollment of a
mummy at Bristol； England； in 1853； were communicated
to the Philosophical Magazine； by Dr。 Herapath。
He says：
〃On three of the bandages were hieroglyphical
characters of a dark color； as well defined as if
written with a modern pen； where the marking fluid
had flowed more copiously than the characters required；
the texture of the cloth had become decomposed
and small holes had resulted。 I have no
doubt that the bandages were genuine； and had
not been disturbed or unfolded； the color of the
marks were so similar to those of the present
'marking ink；' that I was induced to try if they
were produced by silver。 With the blowpipe I
immediately obtained a button of that metal； the
fibre of the linen I proved by the microscope； and
by chemical reagents； to be linen； it is therefore
certain that the ancient Egyptians were acquainted
with the means of dissolving silver； and of applying
it as a permanent ink； but what was their solvent？
I know of none that would act on the
metal and decompose flax fibre but nitric acid；
which we have been told was unknown until discovered
by the alchemist in the thirteenth century；
which was about 2200 years after the date of this
mummy； according as its superscription was read。
〃The Yellow color of the fine linen cloths which
had not been stained by the embalming materials；
I found to be the natural coloring matter of the
flax； they therefore did not； if we judge from this
specimen； practice bleaching。 There were； in some
of the bandages near the selvage； some twenty or
thirty blue threads； these were dyed by indigo；
but the tint was not so deep nor so equal as the
work of the modern dyers； the color had been
given it in the skein。
〃One of the outer bandages was of a reddish
color； which dye I found to be vegetable； but could
not individualize it； Mr。 T。 J。 Herapath analyzed
it for tin and alumina； but could not find any。
The face and internal surfaces of the orbits had
been painted white； which pigment I ascertained
to be finely powdered chalk。〃
〃I am a scribbled form； drawn with a Pen
Upon a Parchment； and against this fire
Do I shrink up。〃
KING JOHN； v； 7。
〃With much ado； his Book before him laid；
And Parchment with the smoother side display'd；
He takes the Papers； lays 'em down agen；
And with unwilling fingers tries his Pen；
Some peevish quarrel straight he tries to pick；
His Quill writes double； or his Ink's too thick；
Infuse more Water； now 'tis grown too thin；
It sinks； nor can the characters be seen。〃
Persius； translated by Dryden。
INKS CALLED SYMPATHETICAL （Seventeenth Century）。
〃These operations are liquors of a different nature；
which do destroy one another； the first is an infusion
of quick…lime and orpin； the second a water turn'd
black by means of burned cork； and the third is a
vinegar impregnated with saturn。
〃Take an ounce of quick…lime； and half an ounce of
orpin； powder and mix
