forty centuries of ink- 第22部分

its　blue　precipitate　with　iron　the　metal　is　first　usually

dissolved　in　an　acid；　I　was　next　induced　to　try　the

effect　of　adding　a　dilute　mineral　acid　to　writing　besides

the　alkali。　This　answered　fully　to　my　expectations；

the　letters　changing　very　speedily　to　a　deep

blue　colour；　of　great　beauty　and　intensity。



〃It　seems　of　little　consequence　as　to　the　strength

of　colour　obtained；　whether　the　writing　be　first　wetted

with　the　acid；　and　then　the　phlogisticated　alkali　be

touched　upon　it；　or　whether　the　process　be　inverted；

beginning　with　the　alkali；　but　on　another　account

I　think　the　latter　way　preferable。　For　the　principal

inconvenience　which　occurs　in　the　proposed

method　of　restoring　MSS。　is；　that　the　colour　frequently

spreads；　and　so　much　blots　the　parchment

as　to　detract　greatly　from　the　legibility；　now　this

appears　to　happen　in　a　less　degree　when　the　alkali

is　put　on　first；　and　the　dilute　acid　is　added　upon　it。



〃The　method　I　have　hitherto　found　to　answer

best　has　been　to　spread　the　alkali　thin　with　a

feather　or　a　bit　of　stick　cut　to　a　blunt　point；　though

the　alkali　has　occasioned　no　sensible　change　of

colour；　yet　the　moment　that　the　acid　comes　upon　it；

every　trace　of　a　letter　turns　at　once　to　a　fine　blue；

which　soon　acquires　its　full　intensity；　and　is　beyond

comparison　stronger　than　the　colour　of　the　original

trace　had　been。　If　now　the　corner　of　a　bit　of　blotting

paper　be　carefully　and　dexterously　applied

near　the　letters；　in　order　to　suck　up　the　superfluous

liquor；　the　staining　of　the　parchment　may　be　in　a

great　measure　avoided：　for　it　is　this　superfluous

liquor　which　absorbing　part　of　the　colouring　matter

from　the　letters　becomes　a　dye　to　whatever　it　touches。

Care　must　be　taken　not　to　bring　the　blotting　paper

in　contact　with　the　letters；　because　the　colouring

matter　is　soft　whilst　wet；　and　may　easily　be　rubbed

off。　The　acid　I　have　chiefly　employed　has　been

the　marine；　but　both　the　vitriolic　and　nitrous　succeed

very　well。　They　should　undoubtedly　be　so

far　diluted　as　not　to　be　in　danger　of　corroding　the

parchment；　after　which　the　degree　of　strength　does

not　seem　to　be　a　matter　of　much　nicety。



〃The　method　now　commonly　practiced　to　restore

old　writings；　is　by　wetting　them　with　an　infusion

of　galls　in　white　wine。〃



（See　a　complicated　process　for　the　preparation　of

such　a　liquor　in　Caneparius　De　Atramentis；　A。　D。

1660；　p。　277）



〃This　certainly　has　a　great　effect；　but　is　subject；

in　some　degree；　to　the　same　inconvenience　as　the

phlogisticated　alkali；　of　staining　the　substance　on

which　the　writing　was　made。　Perhaps　if；　instead

of　galls　themselves；　the　peculiar　acid　of　or　other

matter　which　strikes　the　black　with　iron　were　separated

from　the　simple　astringent　matter；　for　which

purpose　two　different　processes　are　given　by　Piesenbring

and　by　Scheele；　this　inconvenience　might

be　avoided。　It　is　not　improbable；　likewise；　that　a

phlogisticated　alkali　might　be　prepared　better　suited

to　this　object　than　the　common；　as　by　rendering　it

as　free　as　possible　from　iron；　diluting　it　to　a　certain

degree；　or　substituting　the　volatile　alkali　for　the

fixed。　Experiment　would　most　likely　point　out

many　other　means　of　improving　the　process　described

above；　but　in　its　present　state　I　hope　it

may　be　of　some　use；　as　it　not　only　brings　out　a

prodigious　body　of　colour　upon　letters　which　were

before　so　pale　as　to　be　almost　invisible；　but　has

the　further　advantages　over　the　infusions　of　galls；

that　it　produces　its　effect　immediately；　and　can　be

confined　to　these　letters　only　for　which　such　assistance

is　wanted。〃



The　Society　of　Arts　in　1830；　received　a　communication

from　Dr。　Bostock；　in　the　course　of　which　he

stated　that　the　〃tannin；　mucilage　and　extractive

matter　are　without　doubt　the　principal　causes　of　the

difficulty　which　is　encountered　in　the　formation　of　a

perfect　and　durable　ink　and　for　a　good　ink　the　essential

ingredients　are　gallic　acid　and　a　sesqui　salt　of

iron。〃　Owing　to　his　working　with　galls　he　was　unable

to　make　decisive　experiments；　but　he　concludes；

and　that　rightly；　that　in　proportion　as　ink　consists

merely　of　gallate　of　iron；　it　is　less　liable　to　decomposition

and　any　kind　of　metamorphosis。



In　1831　the　Academy　of　Sciences　in　France　took

up　the　matter　and　designated　a　committee　composed

of　chemists　with　instructions　to　study　the　subject　of　a

permanent　ink。　After　long　research　it　reported　that

it　was　unable　to　recommend　any　better　ink　than　the

tanno…gallate　of　iron　one　then　in　use；　but　〃it　should

be　properly　compounded。〃



Peddington　investigated；　1841…48；　the　ancient　MSS。

collected　by　the　Asiatic　Society　of　Bengal；　Calcutta；

and　published　the　results　in　〃Examination　of　Some

Decayed　Oriental　Works　in　the　Library　of　the　Asiatic

Society；〃　which　are　of　much　interest　as　relating　to

〃mineral〃　inks；　the　〃gall〃　inks　being　unknown　in

Asia　after　the　twelfth　century。



Up　to　thirty…five　years　ago；　the　manufacture　of

〃gall〃　inks　necessitated　a　complicated　series　of　processes

and　long　periods　of　time　to　enable　the　ink　to

settle　properly；　etc。　It　was　Professor　Penny　of　the

Anderson　University　who　suggested　the　way　to　avoid

one　of　the　processes　pertaining　to　ink…making　by

utilizing　the　known　fact；　that　tannin　is　more　soluble

in　cold　than　in　warm　or　hot　water。　It　was　adopted

all　over　the　world　and　revolutionized　the　manufacture

of　ink；　by　doing　away　with　boiling　processes　and　hot

macerations　of　ingredients。　With　hardly　in　exception

the　best　tanno…gallate　of　iron　（〃gall〃）　inks　are

now　〃cold〃　made。







CHAPTER　XIII。



STUDY　OF　INK。



INVESTIGATIONS　BY　STARK　OF　INK　QUALITIES　COVERING

A　PERIOD　OF　TWENTY…THREE　YEARSABSTRACT　FROM

HIS　REPORT　OF　1855DR。　CHILTON　EXPERIMENTS　IN

NEW　YORK　CITY　1856ACTION　OF　THE　PRUSSIAN

GOVERNMENT　IN　1859　AND　EMPLOYMENT　OF　AN　OFFICIAL

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