forty centuries of ink-第32章

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not　intended　for　record　inks。　I　therefore　sent　to

the　manufacturers　of　the　inks　reported　as　in　use

by　the　recording　officers；　and　to　some　others；　the

following　letter　and　inquiries：



〃　'The　fading　of　much　of　the　ink　used　in　records

of　comparatively　recent　date；　while　as　a　rule　the

records　of　two　hundred　years　ago　are　as　legible　as

when　written；　establishes　the　fact　that　for　permanent

qualities　much　of　the　modern　ink　is　inferior　to　the

ancient；　and　that　inks　are　used　that　are　unfit　for

making　a　record　which　should　stand　for　all　time。



〃　'I　am　led　to　believe　that　most　ink　in　manufacturers

make　inks　which　are　good　for　commercial　and

other　uses　where　there　is　no　desire　for　a　permanent

record；　but　which　they　would　not　recommend　for

use　where　the　important　object　was　the　permanency

of　the　record。　One　of　the　dangers　to　which　our

records　are　exposed　can　be　obviated　by　the　use　of

proper　inks；　and　I　desire　to　obtain　the　opinion　of

the　leading　manufacturers　on　the　subject；　that　I

may　advise　the　recording　officers　of　the　State　what

are；　and　what　are　not；　safe　inks　to　use　for　records。



〃　'I　shall　esteem　it　a　favor；　therefore；　if　you　will

answer　the　enclosed　questions；　and　return　them　at

your　convenience。　Your　reply　will　be　treated　as

confidential　as　far　as　names　are　concerned；　except

in　the　answer　to　question　No。　5；　and　that　will　not

be　printed　if　you　so　request。　Any　general　opinion

which　will　aid　the　recording　officers　in　their　selection

of　ink　or　paper　will　be　welcomed。



〃　'1。　Do　you　consider　it　safe　to　use　for　a　permanent

record　aniline　inks？



〃　'2。　Do　you　consider　it　safe　to　use　for　a　record　logwood　inks？



〃　'3。　Do　your　consider　nut…gall　and　iron　inks

absolutely　safe　for　a　permanent　record？



〃　'4。　Do　you　consider　carbon　ink　the　only　permanent　ink？



〃　'5。　What　inks　of　your　manufacture　would　you

advise　against　using　for　a　permanent　record？



〃　'6。　Do　you　advise　generally　against　the　inks

known　as　writing　fluids；　when　permanency　is　the

first　requisition？



〃　'7。　Do　you　manufacture　a　writing　fluid？



〃　'8。　Do　you　consider　it　safe　to　add　water　to　ink

intended　for　permanent　record；　which　has　grown

thick　by　exposure　to　the　air？



〃　'9。　Do　you　believe　that　the　obliteration　of　ink

is　ever　due　to　the　chemicals　left　in　the　paper？

（This　question　has　been　asked　of　the　paper　manufacturers

also。）



〃　'10。　Do　you　consider　it　safe　to　mix　inks　without

knowing　to　what　chemical　group　the　inks　so　mixed　belong？'



〃Replies　were　received　from　twenty…two

manufacturers。　Several　of　the　inks　in　the　market；

though　bearing　the　name　of　certain　persons；　were

found　to　be　manufactured　for　them　by　manufacturers

who　had　already　answered　the　questions。

Their　replies　were；　therefore；　not　considered。



〃To　the　first　question；　'Do　you　consider　it　safe

to　use　for　a　permanent　record　aniline　inks！'　the

unanimous　answer　was　decidedly　no。　Aniline

black　is　absolutely　permanent；　but　as　it　is　not　yet

known　how　to　render　it　soluble　in　water；　it　has　not

been　much　used　in　ink。



〃To　the　inquiry　in　regard　to　logwood　inks；

nearly　all　answered　no；　and　most　of　those　who　did

not　qualified　their　answers　to　such　an　extent　as　to

imply　distrust。



〃Upon　the　question　of　the　permanency　of　nut…gall　and

iron　inks；　the　answers　were　more　varied；　one　answering

no；　and　four　answering　directly　yes；　the　remaining

answers　being　in　brief　that　such　inks　were　permanent

if　properly　made。



〃To　the　question；　'Do　you　consider　carbon　ink

the　only　permanent　ink？'　the　answers　were　varied

and　contradictory。　Most　of　the　manufacturers

said　a　carbon　ink　could　not　be　permanent；　because

carbon　was　insoluble；　and　some　said　that　no　chemical

union　could　exist　between　carbon　and　the

other　ingredients　in　ink。　Others　claimed　that　carbon

was　the　one　permanent　color；　and　cited　the　old

Indian　and　Chinese　inks　which　have　stood　for　centuries

as　illustrations　of　its　permanency。　These

statements　were　so　widely　different　that　I　pursued

the　inquiry　further；　and　found　it　was　conceded　that；

if　a　process　could　be　discovered　by　which　carbon

could　be　dissolved　and　made　to　retain　its　color；　no

known　substance　would　make　so　permanent　an　ink；

but　that　there　was　no　such　process；　and　in　the　inks

now　made　the　carbon　was　simply　held　in　suspension

in　the　ink　without　any　chemical　union；　but　I

found　also　that　improvement　has　been　made；　and

that　it　is　possible　to　combine　the　carbon　with　chemicals

which　will　cause　the　carbon　to　embody　itself。

More　than　ordinary　care　should；　however；　be

exercised　in　the　purchase　of　carbon　inks；　for　the

lack　of　chemical　union　would　cause　a　tendency　to

precipitate　the　carbon　if　the　ink　were　improperly　made。



〃The　replies　to　the　inquiry；　'Do　you　advise

generally　against　the　inks　known　as　writing　fluids；

when　permanency　is　the　first　requisition？'　were　in

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　b