forty centuries of ink-第31章

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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　STATE

OF　NEW　YORKCOMMENTS　OF　THE　PUBLIC　PRESS　OF

THAT　PERIODDIFFERENT　WORKS　WHICH　MORE　OR

LESS　DWELL　ON　THE　SUBJECT　OF　INK　FROM　1890　TO

1900CITATIONS　FROM　ALLEN'S　COMMERCIAL　ORGANIC

ANALYSISREFERENCE　TO　PAPER　ABOUT　INK

READ　BEFORE　THE　NEW　YORK　STATE　BAR　ASSOCIATION。



IT　was　not；　however；　until　1891　that　the　subject　of

the　constitution　of　an　enduring　record　ink　received

the　consideration　its　importance　deserved　and　in　this

the　youngest　of　countries。　To　Robert　T。　Swan　of

Boston　is　all　honor　due　for　the　very　unique　and

comprehensive　methods　adopted　in　his　investigations。

Appointed　〃commissioner　of　public　records〃　of　the

state　of　Massachusetts；　he　has　set　an　example　which

may　well　be　followed　by　other　states；　as　has　been

done　in　a　lesser　degree　by　Connecticut　and　ten　years

later　by　the　United　States　Treasury　Department；

which　in　this　respect　is　so　ably　represented　in　part

by　Dr。　Charles　A。　Crampton　of　Washington；　D。　C。



Mr。　Swan　in　his　reports　to　the　legislature　of　his

state　for　the　last　twelve　years；　deals　with　the　subject

of　the　constitution　of　〃permanent　inks〃　so　thoroughly；

and　with　it　affords　information　of　so　practical

and　useful　a　character；　that　the　fullest　references　to

them　prove　both　instructive　and　interesting。　In　his

report　of　1891　he　remarks：



〃Upon　commencing　an　examination　of　the　records

in　various　places；　I　was　impressed　with　the

great　importance　of　the　use　of　inks　which　should

be　permanent；　and　the　necessity　of　an　investigation

which　might　prevent　the　further　use　of　inks　that

for　one　reason　or　another　were　unfit　for　use　upon

records。　I　found　that；　as　a　rule；　the　inks　upon

the　most　ancient　records　had　preserved　their　color；

many　undoubtedly　being　blacker　than　when　used；

but　that　the　later　records　lost　the　jet…black　appearance

of　the　older。　This；　it　is　true；　is　not　wholly

due　to　the　change　of　inks；　for　the　use　of　quills；

the　soft　surface　of　the　old　paper；　the　absence　of

blotting　paper　and　the　greater　time　spent　in　writing；

were　all　conducive　to　a　heavier　deposit　of　ink；

but　evidence　is　ample　that　in　comparatively　recent

years　inks　of　poor　quality　came　in　use。　Proof　of

this　is　given　by　an　examination　of　the　records　in

the　state　house。　Up　to　about　1850　it　was　the　custom

in　the　office　of　the　Secretary　of　the　Commonwealth

to　use　for　engrossing　the　acts；　inks　made

of　a　powder　which　was　mixed　in　the　office；　and

until　that　time　the　acts　which　are　engrossed　upon

parchment　show；　with　but　few　exceptions；　no　signs

of　fading。　From　1850　for　several　years　the　writing

in　many　cases　is　becoming　indistinct；　that　upon　an

act　in　1851；　and　upon　two　in　1855；　having　nearly

disappeared。　Since　1860；　acts　showing　different

intensity　of　color　are　found；　but　whether　this　is

their　original　color　or　not　cannot　be　determined。



That　the　fading　can　be　attributed　to　the　parchment；

as　some　claim；　is　disproved　by　the　fact　that

of　the　signatures　upon　the　same　act　a　few　have

faded　while　others　have　not。　Upon　an　act　approved

January　4；　1845；　the　signature　of　the　President　of

the　Senate　has　nearly　disappeared；　that　of　the

Speaker　of　the　House　is　more　legible；　while　that　of

the　Governor；　and　the　figure　4；　which　he　evidently

inserted；　are　jet　black。



〃The　indexes　in　the　volumes　of　archives　in　the

office　of　the　secretary；　which　were　written　about

1840；　were　evidently　made　with　a　different　ink　from

that　used　for　engrossing；　and　faded　so　badly　that

the　important　words　had　to　be　rewritten。



〃In　the　office　of　the　State　Treasurer　the　records

to　about　1867　are　very　black　and　distinct；　but　the

ink　used　during　a　few　years　following　has　faded。



〃The　records　of　births；　marriages　and　deaths；

in　the　registration　volumes　in　the　secretary's　office；

furnish　an　excellent　illustration　of　the　different

qualities　of　the　inks　now　used。　These　records　are

original　returns　made　by　the　city　and　town　clerks；

and　from　1842　to　1889　show　instances　of　the　use

of　inks　which　are　now　almost　illegible。　Here

again　the　fault　cannot　be　attributed　to　the　paper；

for　endorsements　made　in　the　secretary's　office

upon　the　most　faded　returns　at　the　time　of　their

receipt　are　as　black　as　when　made。



〃The　volumes　of　copies　of　the　old　records　of

Lexington；　made　in　1853；　have　faded　until　they

are　quite　indistinct。



〃Some　of　the　old　inks；　though　retaining　their

black　color　have；　from　the　presence　of　acid　in　the

ink　or　paper；　eaten　through　the　paper　as　thoroughly

as　if　the　writing　had　been　done　with　a　sharp

instrument。　In　part　of　one　old　volume　of　court

records；　the　ink；　while　not　injuring　the　paper　or

becoming　illegible　upon　the　face　of　the　leaves；　has

gradually　become　legible　upon　the　reverse；　while

the　heavy　paper　has　been　impervious　to　the　other

inks　used。

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



To　ascertain　what　kind　of　inks　were　in　use　by

the　town　clerks；　I　examined　the　registration　volumes

before　referred　to；　and；　as　before　stated；

found　many　poor　inks　in　use。　In　a　few　cases　blue

inks　were　used；　and　in　two　violet；　which　is；　as　a

rule；　if　not　always；　a　fugitive　color。　A　number　of

the　returns　in　these　volumes　of　as　recent　date　as

1875　were　almost　illegible；　and　three　made　in　1888

were　nearly　as　indistinct。



〃The　more　I　looked　into　the　subject；　the　more

I　became　convinced　that　the　whole　subject　of　ink

was　one　upon　which　the　persons　using　it　were

comparatively　ignorant。　Consultation　with　experts

satisfied　me　that　good　inks　were　being　injured　by

improper　treatment；　that　the　custom　of　mixing

inks　and　of　adding　water　to　them　was　unsafe；　and

that　among　the　inks　reported　as　in　use　upon　the

records　there　were　many　manufactured　for　commercial

uses　which　should　not　be　used　upon　records；

and　which　the　manufacturers　would　say　were

not　intended　for　record　inks。　I　therefore　sent　to

the　manufacturers　of　the