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body rapidly precipitates a tannin ink; hence it is

useless for copying ink; but for the gallic ink it is an

excellent thickener。〃



Chen…Ki…Souen; 〃Lencre de China;〃 by Maurice Jametel;

appeared in Paris in 1882; but as the title indicates;

it is the old 〃Indian〃 or Chinese ink that is discussed。



Schluttig and Neumann in 1890 issued their

Edition Dresden on the subject of 〃Iron and Gall

inks。〃 In this valuable work is to be found the

formula which has been generally adopted as the

standard where one is used for tanno…gallate of iron ink。



The investigations of other scientific men like Lepowitz;

Booth; Desormeaux; Chevreuse; Irvine; Traille;

Bottger; Riffault; Precht; Nicholes; Runge; Gobert;

Penny; Arnold; Thomson (Lord Kelvin); Davids; Kindt;

Ure; Wislar and many more who have dealt with the

chemistry of inks; present to us some testimony during

a considerable portion of the nineteenth century

of the efforts made to secure a good ink。









CHAPTER XIV。



CLASSIFICATIONS OF INK。



INK USED BY US HAS NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THAT

OF THE ANCIENTSMANUFACTURERS OF THE PRESENT

TIME HAVE LARGELY UTILIZED FORMULAS EMPLOYED

IN PAST CENTURIESTHE COMMON ACCEPTATION OF

THE TERM INKSEVEN DIFFERENT CLASSES OF INKS

AND THEIR COMPOSITION BRIEFLY TOLDFAILURE OF

EFFORTS TO SECURE A REAL SAFETY INK。



THE inks used by us have nothing in common with

those of the ancients except the color and gum; and

mighty little of that。



Those of the 〃gall〃 class employed in the fourteenth;

fifteenth; sixteenth; seventeenth and eighteenth

centuries; some formulas of which are utilized

by the manufacturers of ink in our own time; consisted

generally in combination; infusions of nut…galls; sulphate

of copper or iron; or both; and fish…glue or gum;

slightly acidulated。 The frequent introduction of the

so…called 〃added〃 color into these inks; time has shown

to have been a grave mistake。



The common acceptation of the term 〃ink〃 may be

said to characterize an immense number of fluid compounds;

the function of which in connection with a

marking instrument is to delineate conventional signs;

characters and letters as put together and commonly

called writing; on paper or like substances。



To classify them would be impossible; but black

writing ink; chemical writing fluid; colored writing

ink; copying ink; India ink; secret or sympathetic ink;

and indelible ink make seven classes; the others may

be denominated under the head of miscellaneous inks;

and of them all; there is no single ink answering every

requirement and few answer at all times the same requirements。

Ink may be either a clear solution of any

coloring matter or of coloring matter held in suspension。

It is a remarkable fact that although most inks

are chemical compositions and many times made after

the same formula; identical results cannot always be

calculated or obtained。 This is more particularly to be

noted in the case of black writing inks otherwise

known as the tanno…gallate of iron inks 'gallic and gallotanic

acid obtained from nut…galls; sulphate of iron;

(green copperas) and some gummy vehicle'。



The variations would appear to be largely due to the

difference in quality of the gall…nuts; treatment; and

temperature of the atmosphere; perhaps; however; not

so much to…day as it was ten or twenty years ago;

when to make ink of this character boiling processes

were employed。 Most of them as already stated are

now 〃cold〃 made。



Inks of this class consist of a finely divided insoluble

precipitate suspended in water by the use of gum and

possessing a slight acidity。



The requisites of a good black writing ink or

black writing fluid require it to flow readily from

the pen; to indicate in a short time a black color

and to penetrate the paper to an appreciable

degree; and more important than all the rest; to be of

great durability。 When kept in a closed vessel no

sediment of any account should be precipitated; although

such will be the case in open ink…wells; and

this the quicker the more the air is permitted to get

to it。 If it is to be used for record or documentary

purposes it must not be altogether obliterated if brought

into contact with water or alcohol; and should depend

for permanency on its chemical and not on its pigmentary

qualities。



The second class; called for distinction 〃chemical

writing fluids;〃 possesses the same essential ingredients

to be found in class one; but much less in

quantity and with some 〃added〃 colored substance

which I shall term 〃loading;〃 for its real purpose is to

cheapen the cost of production and not altogether as

some manufacturers state 〃simply to give them an

agreeable color。〃



Previous to the discovery of the soluble anilines;

logwood; indigo; madder; orchil and other dyeing

materials were used for a period of some eighty years

and vanadium for some twenty years (very costly

at that time); for this purpose; but since 1874; and

with frequent changes as the newer aniline compounds

were invented; these by…products of coal…tar; as well as

logwood; etc。; have been and are to…day employed for

〃loading;〃 or as the manufacturer expresses; it 〃added

color。〃 The chemical writing fluids as now prepared;

yield when first written a blue or green color with a

tendency to change to black afterwards。 They are

not as permanent as those of the first class。



Another black ink not durable; however; is 〃logwood;〃

its extract is combined with a little chromate

of potassium and boiled together in water。 It possesses

its own 〃gum〃 and contains some tannin。 In

combination with alum and water; it forms a dark

purple ink。



The colored writing inks; of which 〃red〃 is the

more important; are in great number and with hardly

an exception at the present time; manufactured by

adding water and water…glass to a soluble aniline red

color。 Cochineal which was used for red ink formerly

is now almost obsolete。 Nigrosine; one of the best

known of them; is much used as a cheap 〃black〃 ink;

but as it is blue black and never becomes black; it

really belongs to the family of 〃colored〃 writing

inks。 They possess an undeserved popularity for they

flow freely from the pen which they do not corrode;

nor do they thicken or spoil in the inkwell; they are

however very 〃fugitive〃 in character and should not

be employed for record; legal; monetary or other

documentary purposes。 The indigo and prussian blue

inks are well known; the former under certain conditions

a very permanent ink; the latter soon disintegrating。



Copying inks are of two kinds; one dependent on

the addition of glycerine; sugar; glucose or like compounds

to the black writing inks or chemical writing

fluids heretofore mentioned; which are thereby kept

in a moist offsetting condition; the other due to the

solubility of the pigmentary color with water; such as

the aniline inks which are given more body than

those for ordinary purposesand the logwoods in

which the pigment is developed and given copying

qualities by chemicals; and hence becomes responsive

to the application of a sheet of paper dampened with

water。 Copying ink should never be used for

〃record〃 purposes as it is affected by changes of the

temperature。



India ink; sometimes called China ink; or as formerly

known by the ancients and in classical and later times

〃Indian ink;〃 is now used more for drawing and engrossing

than it is for commercial purposes。 It belongs

to the 〃carbon〃 class and in some form was

the first one used in the very earliest times。 In

China it is applied with a brush or pith of some reed

to the 〃rice〃 paper also there manufactured。 It is

easily washed away unless bichromate of ammonium

or potassium in minute quantities be added to it; and

then if the paper on which it appears be exposed for a

short time to the action of the actinic rays of sunlight;

this gummy compound will be rendered insoluble and

cannot be removed with any fluid; chemical or otherwise。

It possesses also great advantages in drawing;

since it acts as a paint; and will give any degree of

blackness according to the quantity of water mixed with it。



Secret or sympathetic inks are invisible until the

writing is subjected to a subsequent operation; such

as warming or exposing to sunlight。 To further aid

the object in view; the paper may be first steeped in

a liquid and the writing only made visible by using

another liquid which has some chemical affinity with

the previous one。 The number of this kind were but

few but have multiplied as chemistry progressed。

The ancients were acquainted with several modes。

Ovid indiscreetly advises the Roman wives and maidens

if they intend to make their correspondence unreadable

to the wrong persons to write with new milk;

which when dried may be rendered visible by rubbing

ashes upon it or a hot iron。 Pliny suggests milky

juices of certain plants of which there are a considerable

variety。



Indelible ink is not used for writing purposes on

paper; but is found best adapted for marking linen

and cancellation or endorsing purposes。 It is chiefly

composed of nitrate of silver preparations; to which

heat must be applied after it has been dried; or a

pigment is commingled with the same vehicles used

in making common printing ink and in its use treated as such。



Diamonds; gold; silver; platinum and a host of other

materials are manufactured into ink and are to be

placed under the head of miscellaneous inks。 They

are in great number and of no interest in respect to

ink writing except for engrossing or illuminating。



Still another ink once held in much esteem and now

almost obsolete is the so…called 〃safety〃 ink。



Manufacturers; chemists and laymen in great number

for many years wasted money; time and energy

in diligent worship at a secret shrine which could not

give the information they sought。 A summary of the

meager and barren results they secured is of little

value and unimportant。 Hence; there is no REAL 〃safety〃 ink。



It is true that lampblack (carbon) as made into

ink; resists any chemical or chemicals; but simple

water applied on a soft sponge will soon remove such

ink marks。 The reason for this is obvious; the ink

does not penetrate the paper。



〃Safety〃 ink which will not respond to acids may

be affected by alkalis; or if resisting them separately;

will yield to them in combination。







CHAPTER XV。



OFFICIAL AND LEGAL INK。



FIRST COMPLETE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION OF INK IN

THIS COUNTRYTHE HONOR DUE TO ROBERT T。 SWAN

OF BOSTONRESUME OF HIS REPORTS TO THE

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTSTHE

SWAN LAW ADOPTED IN 1894 BY THE STATE OF

MASSACHUSETTSUNITED STATES TREASURY DEPARTMENT

ADOPTS AN OFFICIAL INK IN 1901UNSUCCESSFUL

ATTEMPT TO SECURE INK LEGISLATION IN THE STA

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