Forty Centuries of Ink: Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.Carvalho, David Nunes
History
Forty Centuries of Ink: Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.
Carvalho, David Nunes
Ink
Charles M. Higgins of Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1880
commenced the manufacture of "carbon" inks for
engrossing, architectural and engineering purposes,
and has succeeded in producing an excellent liquid
"Indian" ink, which will not lose its consistency
if kept from the air. It can also be used as a writing
ink, if thinned down with water. He does not
make a tanno-gallate of iron ink without "added"
color.
Maynard and Noyes, whose inks were much
esteemed in this section for over fifty years, is no
longer in business, as is the case with many others well
known during the first half of the nineteenth century.
The enormous quantities of ink of every color,
quality and description made in the United States
almost surpasses belief. It is said that the output for
home consumption alone exceeds twelve millions of
gallons per annum, and for export three thousand gallons
per annum.
It is very safe to affirm that less than 1/50 of 1 per
cent of this quantity represents a tanno-gallate of
iron ink WITHOUT "added" color. Most colored inks
and "gall" ones which possess "added" color if
placed on paper under ordinary conditions will not
be visible a hundred years hence.
This statement of mine might be considered altogether
paradoxical were it not for associated evidential
facts, which by proving themselves have established
its correctness and truth. To repeat one of them is
to refer to the report of Professors Baird and Markoe,
who examined for the state of Massachusetts all the
commercial inks on the market at that time.
"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 gall 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."
An official ink modelled somewhat after the formula
employed by the government of Great Britain was
contracted for by the state of Massachusetts. It read
as follows:
"Take of pure, dry tannic acid, 23.4 parts by weight.
of crystal gallic acid, 7.7 parts.
of ferrous sulphate, 30.0 parts.
of gum arabic, 10.0 parts.
of diluted hydrochloric acid, 25.0 parts.
of carbolic acid, 1.0 part.
of water, sufficient to make up the mixture
at the temperature of 60 degrees F.
to the volume of 1,000 parts by
weight of water."
Such an ink prepared after this receipt would be a
strictly pure tanno-gallate of iron ink WITHOUT any
"added" color whatever.
The estimation in which such an ink is held by the
majority of the ink manufacturers is best illustrated
by quoting from two of the most prominent ones, and
thus enable the reader to draw his own conclusions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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