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Libro WORKSHOP RECEIPTS FIFTH SERIES pag 82

Black Writing- Ink. A. (h).— The following formula is said to have been in use in 1654, and
to have pro- duced an ink of great permanency, if one may judge from manuscript written by
the person who the authority for the formula : lA dr. icarse-powdered galls, 1§ dr. sulphate of
iron, 10 dr. gum-arabic, and 1 pint soft water, are to be placed m a bottle, which is to be
securely stoppered and placed in the light (sunlight if possible). Stir the contents
occasionally until the gum and copperas are dissolved, after which the bottle should be
shaken daily. In the course of 4-6 weeks the ink will be fit for use. The addition of 10 drops
carbolic acid will prevent the formation of mould.

Blue-black Writing Fluid.— Digest together for a fortnight 18 oz. bruised galls, ^ oz. bruised
cloves, in 10 wine pints water. Press and filter. Add to the clear liquid 6 oz. sulphate of iron
and 2 fl. dr. sulphuric acid, shaking well until solution is effected. Next add 1 oz. indigo paste,
and filter if necessary. The ink must be kept iu well-corked bottles, and it should be made in
vessels of glass or stoneware. (Can. Phar. Jl).

A good black ink can be made with the following ingredients : —2 lb. galls (in moderately fine
powder), lOJ oz. copperas ; 10 oz. gum-arabic ; 1 J oz. sugar. Water sufficient to make 18
pints. Place the galls in an enamelled vessel, pour on it 6 pints boiling water, and allow it to
macerate 2 days ; transfer to a glass percolator, in the neck of which is a piece of absorbent
cotton, through which allow the liquid portion to drain. When this is accomplished, pack the
galls firmly, and displace with sufficient water to produce 2 gal. with that portion of the
infusion which first passed. Then dissolve the gum and sugar in 2 pints water; add this and
the copperas to the infusion of galls. This, after standing about 12 days, will produce a very
superior ink. About 8 drops wood creosote should be added to prevent moulding.

Invisible Ink (v). —Finest potato starch, 13'5 kilos., and powdered iodine 1 kilo., are mixed
and then rubbed through a sieve, then mixed with 4 litres water and 1 litre rectified spirit. The
resulting black powder is allowed to staud for 14- days, then dried and exposed to the air.
'Ihe dry powder contains 10 per cent, of iodine. The iodide of starch becomes soluble when
heated with stirring in an enamelled saucepan over a gentle fire. As soon as the powder is
dry the operation is finished, it then emits a pungent smell. From time to time during the
heating it must be ascertained whether the powder has become soluble, by heating some of
it with water in an iron spoon. At a strong heat it yields a red solution with loss of iodine. In
order to purify the powder and make it thoroughly soluble, of a violet tint iu cold water, a
concentrated solutionis made by heating, so that it shows 7-8°. This solution is allowed to
deposit for several days, de- canted and precipitated with rectified spirit. The jjrecipitate is
strained, and dried in the drying closet. If excess of spirit is used in the precipitation, a
gummy matter is thrown down, the presence of which is superfluous. A certain firm claims to
be the sole manufacturers of the ink. They advertise that writing executed with it gradually
fades away and cannot be restored by any chemical, and state that the time it takes to fade
depends on the paper that is used ; if written with a perfectly clean steel or quill pen on
unglazed paper the evanescence will be more rapid than when written on glazed paper. On
some papers it will disappear iu a day, whilst on other kinds it will take more than a week. I
tried this ink on various sorts of paper, and found the writing quite visible after 6 weeks. It
can easily be re- stored to a jet black by exposing the writing to the fumes of iodine.
Perfection has not yet been obtained in the production of this useful ink ; there appears to be
some chemical either absent or not present in a sufficient quantity to induce a rapid
evanescence. (S. L.)