forty centuries of ink-第50章

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might　be　lessened　were　it　made　in　our　nation。'　〃



Ulman　Strother　in　1390　started　his　paper　mill　at

Nuremberg　in　Bavaria　which　was　the　first　paper

mill　known　to　have　been　established　in　Germany；　and

is　said　to　have　been　the　only　one　in　Europe　then

manufacturing　paper　from　linen　rags。



Among　the　privy　expenses　of　Henry　VII　of　the

year　1498　appears　the　following　entry：　〃A　reward

given　to　the　paper　mill；　16s。　8d。〃　This　is　probably

the　paper　mill　mentioned　by　Wynkin　de　Worde；　the

father　of　English　typography。　It　was　located　at

Hertford；　and　the　water　mark　he　employed　was　a　star

within　a　double　circle。



The　manufacture　of　paper　in　England　previous　to

the　revolution　of　1688　was　an　industry　of　very　small

proportions；　most　of　the　paper　being　imported　from

Holland。



The　first　paper　mill　established　in　America　was　by

William　Rittenhouse　who　emigrated　from　Holland

and　settled　in　Germantown；　Pa。；　in　1690。　At　Roxborough；

near　Philadelphia；　on　a　stream　afterwards

called　Paper　Mill　run；　which　empties　into　the　Wissahicken

river；　was　located　the　site　which　in　company

with　William　Bradford；　a　printer；　he　chose　for

his　mill。　The　paper　was　made　from　linen　rags；

mostly　the　product　of　flax　raised　in　the　vicinity　and

made　first　into　wearing　apparel。



It　was　Reaumer；　who　in　1719　first　suggested　the

possibility　of　paper　being　made　from　wood。　He

obtained　his　information　on　this　subject　from　examination

of　wasps'　nests。



Matthias　Koops　in　1800　published　a　work　on

〃Paper〃　made　from　straw；　wood　and　other　substances。

His　second　edition　appeared　in　1801　and

was　composed　of　old　paper　re…made　into　new。　Another

work　on　the　subject　of　〃Paper　from　Straw；　&c。；〃

by　Piette；　appeared　in　1835；　which　said　work　contains

more　than　a　hundred　pages；　each　one　of　which

was　made　from　a　different　kind　of　material。



Many　other　valuable　works　are　obtainable　which

treat　of　rag　paper　manufacture　and　the　stories　they

tell　are　instructive　as　well　as　interesting。







CHAPTER　XXXI。



MODERN　INK　BACKGROUNDS　（WOOD　PAPER　AND　〃SAFETY〃

PAPER）。



SOME　GENERAL　OBSERVATIONS　ABOUT　PAPER…MAKING

MATERIALSPROBABILITIES　AS　TO　THE　FUTURE　OF

THE　PUBLIC　RECORDSESTIMATION　OF　SUCH　MATTERS

BY　THE　LATE　POPEINVENTION　OF　WOOD…PULP　PAPER

ITS　LASTING　QUALITIESTHE　THREE　KINDS　OF　SUCH

PAPER　DEFINEDDISCUSSION　OF　THE　SUBJECT　OF

FUNGI　IN　PAPER　BY　GLYDESOME　TESTS　TO　ASCERTAIN

THE　MATERIAL　OF　WHICH　PAPER　IS　COMPOSED

TESTS　AS　TO　SIZING　AND　THE　DETERMINATION　OF　THE

DIRECTION　OF　THE　GRAINABSORBING　POWERS　OF

BLOTTING　PAPERTESTS　FOR　GROUND　WOODNEW

MODE　OF　ANALYSTSWHEN　THE　FIRST　〃SAFETY〃

PAPER　WAS　INVENTEDTHE　MANY　KINDS　OF　〃SAFETY〃

PAPER　AND　PROCESSES　IN　THEIR　MANUFACTURE

CHRONOLOGICAL　REVIEW　COVERING　THIS　SUBJECT

SURVEY　OF　THE　VARIOUS　PROCESSES　IN　THE　TREATMENT

AND　USE　OF　〃SAFETY〃　PAPERONLY　THREE

CHEMICAL　〃SAFETY〃　PAPERS　NOW　ON　THE　MARKET

WHY　IT　IS　POSSIBLE　TO　RAISE　SOME　MONETARY

INSTRUMENTS。



PAPER　manufacturers　have　tried　all　the　pulp…making

substances。　This　statement　to　the　unlearned　must

seem　curious；　because　in　the　very　early　times　they

were　content　with　a　single　material　and　that　did　not

even　require　to　be　first　made　into　the　form　of　pulp。

When　the　supply　of　papyrus　failed；　it　was　rags　which

they　substituted。　By　the　simplest　processes　they

produced　a　paper　with　which　our　best　cannot　compare。

In　some　countries　great　care　is　exercised　in

selecting　the　quality　of　paper　for　official　use；　in　others

none　at　all。



What　will　be　the　state　of　our　archives　a　few　hundred

years　hence；　if　they　be　not　continually　recopied？



Some　of　the　printed　paper　rots　even　more　quickly

than　written。



The　late　Pope　at　one　time　invited　many　of　the

savants；　chemists　and　librarians　of　Europe；　to　meet

at　Einsiedlen　Abbey　in　Switzerland。　He　requested

that　the　subject　of　their　discussions　should　be　both

ink　and　paper。　He　volunteered　the　information；

already　known　to　the　initiated；　that　the　records　of

this　generation　in　his　custody　and　under　his　control

were　fast　disappearing　and　unless　the　writing　materials

were　much　improved　he　estimated　that　they

would　entirely　disappear。　It　is　stated　that　at　this

meeting　the　Pope's　representative　submitted　a　number

of　documents　from　the　Vatican　archives　which

are　scarcely　decipherable　though　dated　in　the　nineteenth

century。　In　a　few　of　those　of　dates　later　than

1873　the　paper　was　so　tender　that　unless　handled

with　exceptional　care；　it　would　break　in　pieces　like

scorched　paper。



These　conditions　are　in　line　with　many　of　those

which　prevail　with　few　exceptions　in　every　country；

town　or　hamlet。



A　contributory　cause　as　we　know　is　a　class　of　poor

and　cheap　inks　now　in　almost　universal　use。　The

other　is　the　so…called　〃modern〃　or　wood…pulp　paper

in　general　vogue。



Reaumur；　as　already　stated；　back　in　1719　suggested

from　information　gathered　in　examinations　of　wasps'

nests；　that　a　paper　might　be　manufactured　from

wood。　This　idea　does　not　appear　to　have　been　acted

upon　until　many　years　later；　although　in　the　interim

inventors　were　exhausting　their　ingenuity　in　the

selection　of　fibrous　materials　from　which　paper　might

be　manufactured。



The　successful　introduction　of　wood　as　a　substitute

for　or　with　rags　in　paper　manufacture　until　about

1870　was　of　slow　growth；　since　which　time　vast

quantities　have　been　employed。　In　this　country

alone　millions　of　tons　of　raw　material　are　being　imported

to　say　nothing　of　home　products。



Its　value　in　the　cause　of　progress　of　some　arts

which　contribute　greatly　to　our　comfort　and　civilization

cannot　be　overestimated；　but　nevertheless　the

wood　paper　is　bound　to　disintegrate　and　decay；　and

the　time　not　very　far　distant　either。　Hence；　its　use

for　records　of　any　kind　is　always　to　be　condemned。



There　are　three　classes　of　wood　pulp；　mechanical

wood；　soda　process；　and　the　sulphite。　The　first　or

mechanical　wood　is　a　German　invention　of　1844；

where　the　logs　after　being　cut　up　into　proper　blocks；

were　then　ground　against　a　moving　millstone　against

which　they　were　pressed　and　with　the　aid　of　flowing

water　reduced　to　a　pulpy　form。　This　pulp　was

transported　into　suitable　tanks　and　then　pumped　to

the　〃beaters。〃



The　soda　process　wood　and　sulphite　wood　pulp　are

both　made　by　chemical　processes。　The　first　was

invented　by　Meliner　in　1865。　The　preparation　of

pulp　by　this　process　consists　briefly　in　first　cutting　up

the　logs　into　suitable　sections　and　throwing　them

into　a　chipping　machine。　The　chips　are　then　introduced

into　tanks　containing　a　strong　solution　of

caustic　soda　and　boiled　under　pressure。



The　sulphite　process　is　substantially　the　same　except

that　the　chips　are　thrown　into　what　are　called

digesters　and　fed　with　the　chemicals　which　form　an

acid　sulphite。　The　real　inventor　of　this　latter　process

is　not　known。



The　chemicals　employed　in　both　of　these　processes

compel　a　separation　of　the　resinous　matters　from　the

cell　tissues　or　cellulose。　These　products　are　then

treated　in　the　manufacturing　of　paper　with　few　variations；

the　same　as　the　ordinary　rag　pulp。



These　now　perfected　processes　are　the　results　of　long

and　continuing　experimentations　made　by　many　inventors。



The　following　paper　was　read　before　the　London

Society　of　Arts　by　Mr。　Alfred　Glyde；　in　May；　1850；

and　is　equally　applicable　to　some　of　the　wood　paper

of　the　present　day：



〃Owing　to　the　imperfections　formerly　existing

in　the　microscope；　little　was　known　of　the　real　nature

of　the　plants　called　fungi　until　within　the　last

few　years；　but　since　the　improvements　in　that　instrument

the　subject　of　the　development；　growth；

and　offices　of　the　fungi　has　received　much　attention。

They　compose；　with　the　algae　and　lichens；

the　class　of　thallogens　（Lindley）；　the　algae　existing

in　water；　the　other　two　in　air　only。　A　fungus

is　a　cellular　flowerless　plant；　fructifying　solely　by

spores；　by　which　it　is　propagated；　and　the　methods

of　attachment　of　which　are　singularly　various　and

beautiful。　The　fungi　differs　from　the　lichens　and

algae　in　deriving　their　nourishment　from　the

substances　on　which　they　grow；　instead　of　from　the

media　in　which　they　live。　They　contain　a　larger

quantity　of　nitrogen　in　their　constitution　than　vegetables

generally　do；　and　the　substance　called　'fungine'

has　a　near　resemblance　to　animal　matter。

Their　spores　are　inconceivably　numerous　and　minute；

and　are　diffused　very　widely；　developing

themselves　wherever　they　find　organic　matter　in　a

fit　state。　The　principal　conditions　required　for

their　growth　are　moisture；　heat；　and　the　presence

of　oxygen　and　electricity。　No　decomposition　or

development　of　fungi　takes　place　in　dry　organic

matter；　a　fact　illustrated　by　the　high　state　of

preservation　in　which　timber　has　been　found　after　the

lapse　of　centuries；　as　well　as　by　the　condition　of

mummy…cases；　bandages；　etc。；　kept　dry　in　the　hot

climate　of　Egypt。　Decay　will　not　take　place　in　a

temperature　below　that　of　the　freezing　point　of

water；　nor　without　oxygen；　by　excluding　which；　is

contained　in　the　air；　meat　and　vegetables　may　be

kept　fresh　and　sweet　for　many　years。



〃The　action　which　takes　place　when　moist　vegetable

substances　are　exposed　to　oxygen　is　that　of

slow　combustion　（'eremacausis'）；　the　oxygen

uniting　with　the　wood　and　liberating　a　volume　of

carbonic　acid　equal　to　itself；　and　another　portion

combining　with　the　hydrogen　of　the　wood　to　form

water。　Decomposition　takes　place　on　contact　with

a　body　already　undergoing　the　same　change；　in　the

same　manner　that　yeast　causes　fermentation。　Animal

matter　enters　into　combination　with　oxygen　in

precisely　the　same　way　as　vegetable　matter；　but　as；

in　addition　to　carbon　and　hydrogen；　it　contains　nitrogen；

the　products　of　the　eremacausis　are　more

numerous；　being　carbon　and　nitrate　of　ammonia；

carburetted　and　sulphuretted　hydrogen；　and　water；

and　these　ammoniacal　salts　greatly　favor　the　growth

of　fungi。　Now　paper　consists　essentially　of　woody

fibre；　having　animal　matter　as　size　on　its　surface。

The　first　microscopic　symptom　of　decay　in　paper　is

irregularity　of　surface；　with　a　slight　change　of　color；

indicating　the　commencement　of　the　process　just

noticed；　during　which；　in　addition　to　carbonic　acid；

certain　organic　acids　are　formed；　as　crenic　and　ulmic

acids；　which；　if　the　paper　has　been　stained　by

a　coloring　matter；　will　form　spots　of　red　on　the

surface。　The　same　process　of　decay　goes　on　in

parchment　as　in　paper；　only　with　more　rapidity；

from　the　presence　of　nitrogen　in　its　composition。

When　this　decay　has　begun　to　take　place；　fungi　are

produced；　the　most　common　species　being

Penicilium　glaucum。　They　insinuate　themselves　between

the　fibre；　causing　a　freer　admission　of　air；　and

consequently　hasten　the　decay。　The　substances　most

successfully　used　as　preventives　of　decay　are　the

salts　of　merc