forty centuries of ink-第24章

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a　way　the　most　unsatisfactory；　and　savored　somewhat

of　advertising。　One　manufacturer　made　no

fluid；　and　had　no　opinion　to　express。　Most　of　the

others　made　fluids。　Nine　advised　generally　against

their　use；　four　recommended　them　in　preference

to　ink；　and　the　others　either　advised　generally

against　them；　but　recommended　their　own；　or

qualified　the　answer　in　such　a　way　as　to　throw

doubt　on　them。



〃The　argument　in　their　favor　seems　to　be　that

their　fluidity　makes　them　permeate　the　paper；　and；

in　the　change　of　color　which　usually　takes　place

after　using；　a　dyeing　of　the　paper　results。　The

objections　are；　that　to　obtain　the　fluidity　body

must　be　sacrificed；　and　there　is　not　enough　substance

deposited　upon　the　paper。　The　objections　made

by　two　manufacturers　of　fluids　I　give　in　their　own

words。



〃　'We　advise　generally　against　the　inks　known

simply　as　writing　fluidsthose　not　intended　to

yield　a　letter…press　copybecause　they　are　universally

made；　first；　with　as　little　solid　matter　as

possible；i。　e。　weak；　second；　with　an　excess　of

iron　beyond　that　required　to　combine　with　the　tannin；

so　as　to　develop　all　the　color　possible　and

flow　with　the　greatest　freedom。　The　combined

writing　and　copying　fluids；　and　the　copying　fluids

on　the　other　hand　if　properly　made；　may　be　justly

recommended　where　permanency　is　the　first　requisition；

particularly　the　older　ones；　which　should　be

the　most　durable　of　all　nut…gall　and　iron　inks；　because

in　them　particularly　concentration　is　aimed

at；　and　the　iron　need　not　necessarily；　and　should

not；　be　in　excess　of　that　required　to　combine　with

the　tannin　present。　A　steel　pen　during　use　injures；

and　often　greatly；　the　durability　of　a　writing　ink

by　giving　up　iron　to　it。



〃　'For　your　purpose；　where　extreme　permanency

is　the　first　requisition；　I　should　not　advise　the　use　of

an　ordinary　writing　fluid。　Many　manufacturers

cannot　obtain　sufficient　fluidity　in　their　writing

fluids　without　making　their　inks　very　dilute；　and

observing　a　particular　method　of　manufacture

which；　although　providing　more　attained　color　for

a　time；　sacrifices　the　permanent　quality　of　their

color　in　a　great　measure。　I　should　advise　the　use

of　an　ink　decidedly　stronger。'



〃The　addition　of　water　was　almost　universally

condemned；　for　reasons　stated　later。　As　proof

that　this　was　not　for　the　mercenary　purpose　of　indirectly

advising　the　use　of　more　ink；　some　of　the

manufacturers　said　the　ink　should　be　kept　in　small…

mouthed　ink…stands；　and　when　not　in　use　should

be　as　tightly　sealed　as　possible；　to　prevent　evaporation。



〃In　reply　to　the　inquiry　as　to　whether　chemicals

left　in　the　paper　ever　obliterated　the　ink；　several

of　the　manufacturers　said　they　knew　of　such　cases；

and　all　were　agreed　that；　if　the　chlorides　used　for

bleaching　the　paper　were　not　washed　out；　they

would　dangerously　affect　any　ink。　The　practice

of　mixing　inks　was　universally　condemned。



〃Permanency　against　the　action　of　time　is　the

quality　sought　for　in　this　investigation；　and　it　is

claimed　that　better　evidence　as　to　that　quality　is

furnished　by　the　test　of　time　than　by　any　other；

and　manufacturers　have　shown　or　referred　to

specimens　of　writing　made　with　their　ink　many

years　ago；　as　proof　of　its　merit　in　this　particular。

If　there　was　any　surety　that　the　standard　of　quality

was　always　kept　up　in　all　of　the　oldest　inks　on　the

market；　it　would　be　safe　to　accept　that　test；　but

this　may　not　be　a　fact；　and；　as　has　been　stated；

some　of　the　recording　officers　believe　that　it　is　not。



Moreover；　if　only　the　old　inks　were　to　be　accepted；

it　would　be　against　the　spirit　of　the　age；

which　is　to　adopt　the　improvements　which　science

makes　possible；　and　manufacturers　who　at　great

cost　of　time　and　money　have　made　improvements；

would　be　deprived　of　the　compensation　which　they

deserve。　The　old　inks　were　as　a　rule　heavy；　and

had　a　tendency　to　settle；　and　the　endeavor　on　the

part　of　some　manufacturers　has　been　to　preserve

the　permanency；　and　at　the　same　time　produce

thinner　inks　which　would　be　more　agreeable　to　use。



〃Improvements　have　been　made　in　the　direction

of　free…flowing　inks；　and　these　are　fast　becoming

popular；　and；　while　for　correspondence　and　commercial

uses　they　are　undoubtedly　sufficiently　permanent；

for　records　many　of　them　are　not；　and　it

was　with　a　view　of　preventing　the　use　of　these

upon　records　that　this　investigation　was　made。

No　attention　has　been　given　to　the　permanency

of　the　inks；　as　against　their　removal　by　acids。



〃The　use　of　proper　ink　is　considered　so　important

by　the　British　government　that　the　inks

used　in　the　public　departments　are　obtained　by

public　tender；　in　accordance　with　the　conditions

drawn　up　by　the　controller　of　H。　M。　stationery

office；　with　the　assistance　of　the　chief　chemist　of

the　inland　revenue　department；　to　whom　the　inks

supplied　by　the　contractor　are　from　time　to　time

submitted　for　analysis。　Suitable　inks　for　the　various

uses　are　thus　obtained；　and　their　standard

maintained。　The　last　form　of　'invitation　to　tender；'

or　'proposal；'　as　we　term　it；　is　appended；

as　being　instructive。



I　cannot　learn　that　the　United　States　government

uses　any　such　care　as　the　British　government

in　the　matter　of　ink；　although　the　question　has

been　a　troublesome　one　in　the　departments。



〃The　State　department　issues　no　special　rules

for　determining　suitable　inks；　or　requiring　that　particular

inks　shall　be　used。　Proposals　are　asked　for

the　lowest　bids　for　the　articles　of　stationery　required；

the　last　form　of　proposal　asking　for　bids

upon　seven　black　inks；　one　crimson；　and　one　writing

fluid；　which　are　named。



〃With　the　market　full　of　inks　worthless　for　records；

the　only　safety　for　our　records　seems　to　be　in

the　establishment　of　a　system　similar　to　the　English；

which　shall　fix　upon　proper　inks　for　various

uses；　which　all　recording　officers　shall　be　required

to　use。



〃I　believe　that　the　recording　officers　will　be

glad　to　have　the　question　of　permanent　inks　decided

for　them；　and　to　know　whether　inks　which

were　in　use　many　years　ago；　and　have　stood　the

test　thus　far；　are　maintained　at　their　old　standard。

In　the　face　of　sharp　competition　among　manufacturers；

they　fear　they　are　not。〃



Mr。　Swan；　proceeding　still　further；　secured　the

services　of　two　of　the　most　distinguished　professors

of　chemistry　in　this　country；　Messrs。　Markoe　and

Baird；　and　submitted　to　them　in　camera　sixty…seven

samples　of　different　inks；　known　only　by　numbers；　for

chemical　analysis；　in　a　long　and　exhaustive　report　on

the　work　they　had　set　out　to　accomplish；　and　also　with

a　dissertation　on　the　chemistry　of　inks　in　general；　they

complete　their　report　as　follows：



〃As　a　conclusion；　since　the　great　mass　of　inks

on　the　market　are　not　suitable　for　records；　because

of　their　lack　of　body　and　because　of　the　quantity

of　unstable　color　which　they　contain；　and　because

the　few　whose　coloring　matters　are　not　objectionable

are　deficient　in　galls　and　iron；　or　both；　we

would　strongly　recommend　that　the　State　set　its

own　standard　for　the　composition　of　inks　to　be

used　in　its　offices　and　for　its　records；　have　the

inks　manufactured　according　to　specifications　sent

out；　and　receive　the　manufactured　products　subject

to　chemical　assay。　In　this　way　only　can　there

be　a　uniformity　in　the　inks　used　for　the　records

throughout　the　State；　and　in　no　other　way　can　a

proper　standard　be　maintained。〃



Mr。　Swan　comments　on　the　report　of　his　chemists；

and　calls　attention　to　other　tests　made　by　himself：



〃The　conclusions　at　which　I　arrived　were　drawn；

as　stated；　from　manufacturers　or　recording　officers；

wholly　independently　of　the　chemists；　but　they　will

be　found　to　coincide　in　many　particulars　with　theirs。

I　did　consult　them　in　regard　to　the　practicability　of

maintaining　a　State　standard　for　record　ink；　which

they　have　approved。



〃The　commendation　by　the　chemists　of　some　of

the　so…called　writing　fluids　explains　in　a　degree　the

variety　of　opinions　advanced　by　the　manufacturers

in　regard　to　the　durability　of　fluids。　Some　of

them　will　be　seen　to　possess　the　qualities　of　ink；

and　the　name　fluid　is　evidently　given　to　meet　the

commercial　demand　for　fluids。



〃Several　persons；　manufacturers　among　them；

expressed　greater　confidence　in　tests　of　exposure

of　inks　to　the　light　and　weather　than　to　chemical

analysis。　I；　therefore；　as　a　dry　test；　placed　on　the

inside　of　a　window　pane　receiving　a　strong　light；

writing　made　under　exactly　the　same　conditions

with　each　of　sixty…seven　inks；　which　remained

there　from　March　13　to　December　8。　Similar

writing　was　exposed　to　light　and　the　weather　from

September　25　to　December　8；　and　the　result　of　the

resistance　of　the　inks　in　both　tests　is　an　almost　exact

confirmation　of　the　report　of　the　chemists；

inks　of　the　same　class　varying　in　their　resistance

according　to　their　specific　gravity　or　amount　of

added　color。



〃It　may　be　safely　said；　therefore；　that　of　sixty…

seven　inks　of　which　I　procured　samples；　all　but

seventeen　are　unsuitable　for　records；　and　among

these　the　chemists　say　but　one　is　fully　up　to　the

established　scientific　standard　of　quantity　of　iron

sulphate。　The　reason　is　plain；the　demand　for

commercial　inks　is　large；　for　record；　small；　and　the

supply　has　been　to　meet　the　demand。〃



The　British　government　advertises　for　tenders　each

year；　the　requirements　for　black　writing　ink　in　1889

reads：



〃To　be　made　of　Best　Galls；　Sulphate　of　Iron；

and　Gum。　The　Sulphate　of　Iron　not　to　exceed　in

quantity　one…third　of　the　weight　of　the　Galls　used；

and　the　specific　gravity　of　the　matured　Ink　not　to

exceed　1045　degrees　（distilled　water　being　1000　degrees）。〃

That　of　Black　Copying　Ink　〃To　be　made　of　the　above

materials；　but　of　a　strength　one　fourth　greater

than　the　Writing　Ink；　and　with　the　addition　of

Sugar　or　Glycerine。　The　specific　gravity　of　the

matured　Ink　not。　to　exceed　1085　degrees。〃　And　that　of

Blue…Black　Writing　Ink　〃To　be　made　of　finest

Galls；　Sulphate　of　Iron；　Gum；　Indigo；　and　Sulphuric

Acid。　The　specific　gravity　of　the　Ink　when

matured　not　to　exceed　1035　degrees。〃



Mr。　Swan　again　remarks　in　his　report　of　1892：



〃Many　of　the　inks　which　should　not　be　used

upon　records　are　free　flowing　and　more　agreeable

to　use　than　permanent　inks；　containing　more　body。

As　long　as　recording　and　copying　is　paid　for　by

the　page；　and　the　object　is　to　accomplish　the　most

in　the　least　time；　these　inks　will　be　in　popular　use；

and　used；　and　blotted　off　the　paper　before　they

have　much　more　than　colored　it；　only　to　disappear

eventually。　The　State　should　set　a　standard　for　a

record　ink；　and；　while　our　present　system　of　keeping

records　and　furnishing　supplies　will　not　allow

that　its　use　be　required　on　all　public　records；　as　in

England；　it　would　seem　practicable　fo