forty centuries of ink-第26章

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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；　having　had　the　custody　of　part

of　the　Archives　of　the　City　of　New　York　there　were

many　opportunities　to　study　this　subject　which　were

taken　advantage　of；　before　and　after　which　time

frequent　examinations　were　made　of　writings　much

more　ancient　than　those　pertaining　to　New　York。



Assuming　a　second　premise　was　to　assert　that　the

inks　employed　in　the　writing　of　these　documents

were　〃straight〃　or　possessed　some　〃added〃　pigment

or　color。　Again；　the　vehicles　to　hold　the　particles　or

possibly　preserving　substances；　might　be　factors。



All　literature　possible　referring　to　ink　formulas

was　examined　to　ascertain　the　names　of　materials

recommended　or　formerly　〃added〃　to　gall　inks；　because

if　the　pristineness　of　the　blacker　inks　was　due

to　the　added　pigment　it　was　a　safe　proposition　that　it

was　still　existent　in　the　ink；　and　that　if　it　could　be

discovered　part　at　least　of　the　problem　would　be；

simplified。



The　〃added〃　color　compounds；　excluding　those　of

the　aniline　family　which　pertain　to　the　more　modern

ink　compositions；　are　of　two　classes：　those　possessing

tannin　and　color…yielding　materials　and　those　containing

only　a　color…yielding　material。　Many　of　the　first

class　have　been　used　in　the　manufacture　of　ink　both

with　infusions　of　nut…galls　or　alone；　while　but　very

few　of　the　second　class　have　been　used　for　either　purpose。

The　decomposing　action　of　light；　oxygen　and

moisture　on　many　of　each　class　placed　them　beyond

the　purview　of　consideration；　while　the　dates　of　the

discovery　and　the　fact　of　the　small　percentage　of　tannin

contained　in　others　permitted　them　also　to　be

discarded。　For　instance：　vanadium；　which　is　fairly

permanent；　was　discovered　only　in　1830；　chanchi；　the

ink　plant　of　New　Granada　discovered　in　the　sixteenth

century；　possessing　excellent　lasting　qualities；　does　not

assimilate　perfectly　with　other　constituents　used　in　the

manufacture　of　ink；　but　is　best　when　used　alone；

Berlin　blue　（prussian　blue）　is　well　spoken　of；　but

was　only　discovered　by　accident　in　1710　by　Diesbach；

a　preparer　of　colors　at　Berlin；　logwood；　more　used

for　this　purpose　than　any　other　material；　was　first

imported　into　Europe　in　the　sixteenth　century　and

causes　a　deterioration　of　the　durable　qualities　of　the

tanno…gallate　of　iron；　Brazil…wood　and　archil；　and

their　allies；　are　exceedingly　fugitive；　bablah；　the

fruit　of　the　acacia　arabica；　myrabolams；　of　Chinese

growth；　catechu；　and　sumac　which　though　used　in

the　time　of　Pliny；　each　contains　a　percentage　of

gallic　acid　too　small　to　meet　the　requirements。

Divi…divi；　a　South　American　product；　came　into　use

only　at　the　end　of　the　sixteenth　century　and　has　not

stood　the　test　of　time。



This　sifting　process　completely　eliminated　all　but

lampblack；　madder　and　indigo　in　some　form　as　a

permanent　〃added〃　color　pigment。　Lampblack；

which　is　we　know　forms　the　basis　of　〃Indian〃　ink；

is　not　soluble　and　requires　a　very　heavy　gummy

vehicle　to　prevent　its　immediate　precipitation；　and

while　it　could　have　been　used　in　combination　with

tanno…gallate　of　iron　as　an　ink；　the　fact　that　it　was

possible　to　chemically　remove　the　ancient　inks　which

remained　black；　was　a　sufficient　demonstration　that

this　carbon　substance；　which　is　not　affected　by　chemicals；

either　as　contained　in　the　fluid　ink　or　as　dusted

on　after　writing；　could　have　formed　no　part　of　the

ancient　tanno…gallate　of　iron　inks。



Madder　is　mentioned　as　of　very　ancient　times　and

was　cultivated　in　Europe　as　early　as　the　tenth　century；

its　addition　to　an　iron　and　gall　ink　is　said　to　be

an　invention　of　the　year　1855；　it　is　certain；　however；

that　it　was　used　for　a　like　purpose　as　early　as　1826；

and　a　fair　presumption　that　it　was　frequently

employed　in　some　form　during　the　preceding　four

centuries。　It　has　under　certain　conditions　very　lasting

properties　as　the　madder…dyed　cloths　found

wrapped　around　Egyptian　mummies　demonstrates；

but　does　not　assist　the　tanno…gallate　of　iron　to　retain

its　black　color；　on　the　contrary　it　seems　to　lessen　this

quality。



That　indigo　for　added　color　was　employed　by　ink

manufacturers　in　the　eighteenth　century　is　shown　by

the　formulas　appearing　in　the　literature　of　that　time。

It　was　used　alone　as　an　ink　long　before；　as　well　as

contemporaneously　with；　those　of　the　tanno…gallate　of

iron　family。　Its　lasting　properties　are　most　remarkable

if　it　be　true　that；　used　as　a　dye；　there　is　still　in

existence　specimens　of　it　on　cloth　five　thousand　or

more　years　old。　The　history　of　its　use　ALONE　as　an

ink　is　difficult　to　ascertain　back　of　a　certain　period；

the　writer　has　several　specimens　of　it；　one　written　in

1692　whose　color　is　a　green　blue；　another　written

about　a　century　ago　is　believed　to　be　as　bright　blue

as　the　day　it　was　placed　on　the　paper；　from　1810　to

1850　it　was　in　common　use　particularly　in　hot

climates　where　it　was　〃home…made。〃　Consequently

if　the　old　〃gall〃　inks　contained　a　lasting　added

color；　indigo　must　have　been　the　one；　Dr。　Stark

whose　investigations　along　this　line　for　twenty…three

years　have　already　been　cited　has　said　that　he

preferred　for　his　own　use　an　ink　composed　of　galls；

sulphate　of　indigo　and　copperas　（sulphate　of　iron）；

this　means　a　tanno…gallate　of　iron　ink　with　indigo　for

〃added〃　color。　Like　formulas　calling　for　different

proportions　of　constituents　both　before　and　after　his

time　in　England　and　the　continents　of　Europe　and

America　are　to　be　found　in　considerable　number；

proving　that　its　use　was　more　or　less　constant　in　this

respect。　To　determine；　then；　whether　or　not　the

blacker　specimens　of　the　ancient　writings　contained

indigo　in　any　of　its　forms　was　most　important；　and

the　plan　adopted　most　simple。　Specimens　of　writing

in　ink　of　which　the　manufacturer's　name　was　known

as　well　as　his　formula　and　only　thirty　years　old

showed　evidence　of　considerable　〃browning；〃　some

of　them　when　tested　in　juxtaposition　with　those　of

from　fifty　to　one　hundred　years　old　which　had　turned

completely　brown；　gave　approximately　the　same　results；

and　differentiated　largely　from　the　results　obtained

from　jet　black　specimens　of　eighty　to　five

hundred　or　more　years　of　age。　In　a　number　of　the

browner　ones　indigo　was　found　to　be　present　while　in

many　of　the　black　ones　it　was　not；　demonstrating

that　the　reason　for　the　continuing　blackness　of　the

older　inks　is　not　due　to　an　added　color　or　pigment　of

any　kind　and　furthermore　that　the　〃Stark〃　and

corresponding　ink　formulas　after　the　test　of　TIME　did　not

retain　their　original　blackness　but　deteriorated　to　a

brown　color；　moreover；　that　their　purpose　as　in　the

present　day　was　to　give　an　agreeable　and　immediate

color　result；　a　free…flowing　ink；　and　to　cheapen　the

cost　of　manufacture　when　compared　with　that　of　an

unadulterated　tanno…gallate　of　iron　ink。



No　disagreement　being　now