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wash。 In it the black particles are suspended in
water by the addition of gum。 This kind of ink
has an affinity for oxygen； and hence it oxidizes
and turns black。 When unadulterated it only becomes
blacker with the passage of time； and cannot
be washed from the paper by the use of water。'
〃 'I could show you；' continued Mr。 Carvalho；
'public records of this city made within forty
years which are entirely illegible and consequently
worthless； because cheap inks were used in the
writing。 These include not only records of wills
in the Surrogate's office； but entries and transfers
of real estate which are likely to come up in the
course of litigation at any time； thereby affecting
the rights of many citizens。
〃 'I can tell you at once upon seeing an old
document the character of the ink that was used in
the writing； and I have seen many old papers over
a hundred years of age in which the writing was
as clear as the day it was made； simply because a
good writing ink was used。 On the other hand
writing made with cheap aniline ink may under
certain circumstances fade out within a year； and
in a book which is much handled is almost certain
to be rubbed out in time。
〃 'It has frequently happened that in the course
of litigation； especially over real estate； that old
records made with poor inks have been produced
which the court refused to accept as evidence；
thereby depriving some citizen of his rights。 At
the present time many officials in this state； in
fact； the majority of them； are using these cheap
and worthless inks and the records they are making
will be of little or no value in a few years。
〃 'It is to put a stop to this abuse that the present
bill has been drawn up； and there is no argument
which can be raised against it。' 〃
It appears that there was one； however； as the bill
failed to pass for the stated reason that it came under
the head of 〃class〃 legislation。 The great state and
city of New York with costly and magnificent depositories
continue to place in them； for safe…keeping；
valuable records and other ink…written instruments
which will become illegible before the present century
comes to an end。
Professor Lehner； a German chemist； in 1890 published
a treatise 〃Die Tinten…Fabrikation；〃 which has
been translated and added to by Dr。 Brannt； of Philadelphia；
editor of 〃The Techno…Chemical Receipt…Book；〃 who remarks：
〃The lack of a recent treatise in the English
language containing detailed descriptions of the raw
materials and receipts for the preparation of Inks；
and the apparent necessity； as shown by frequent
inquiries； for such a volume； were the considerations
which led to the preparation of The Manufacture of Ink。〃
This work compiles a great number of formulas；
and rather favors the views of the chemist Dr。 Bostock
respecting the iron and gall inks。 The book
possesses value for reference purposes to the manufacturer。
Auguste Peret； author of 〃The Manufacture of Ink；〃
1891； has put together a lot of excellent material relative
to ink…making and valuable for reference purposes。
The late Dr。 William E。 Hagan of Troy； New York；
in 1894 issued his book； 〃Disputed Hand…writing。〃
He devotes two chapters to the discussion of ancient
and modern inks and their chemistry。 He has been
kind enough to quote the writer as the first to remove
ink in open court with chemicals in order to determine
the existence of pencil writing beneath the ink。
The pencil being carbon was not affected thereby and
with the subsequent restoration of the bleached ink
by the use of the correct re…agent。
In the same year Dr。 Persifor Frazer of Philadelphia
published his 〃Manual of the Study of Documents。〃
A few pages are given to the study of inks；
and a part thereof is devoted to the researches of
Carre； Hager； Baudrimont； Tarry； Chevallier and
Lassaigne； to determine suspected forgeries。 The
chapter on 〃the sequence in crossed lines；〃 where he
indicates his method of determining which of two
crossed ink lines was written first； is both original and
a real contribution to science。
Alfred H。 Allen； F。 C。 S。； of England； perhaps the
highest authority on the subject of tannins； dyes and
coloring matters in his 〃Commercial Organic Analysis；〃
revised and edited by Professor J。 Merritt Mathews
of Pennsylvania； edition of 1900； devotes eight
pages to the subject of the 〃Examination of Ink
Marks。〃 He says：
〃Ordinary writing ink was formerly always
made from a decoction of galls； to which green
vitriol was added。 Of late； the composition of
writing inks has become far less constant； aniline
and other dyes being frequently employed； and
other metallic salts substituted for the ferrous…
sulphate formerly invariably used。 The best black
ink is a tanno…gallate of iron； obtained by adding
an infusion of nut…galls to a solution of ferrous…
sulphate （copperas）。〃
In 1897 the author in a paper read before the New
York State Bar Association at Albany； entitled 〃A
Plea for the Preservation of the Public Records；〃 discussed
the question of the stability of inks and their
phenomena and took occasion to make recommendations
as to their constitution and future methods of
employment。 A vote of thanks was adopted and the
association referred the paper to the Committee on
Law Reform； where no doubt it still slumbers。
CHAPTER XVI。
ENDURING INK。
ASCERTAINMENT OF A CORRECT INK FORMULA THE WORK
OF OVER A CENTURYCHARACTER OF THE EVIDENCE
WHICH ESTABLISHES ITTHE INVESTIGATIONS OF
THE AUTHOR IN THIS DIRECTION AND COMPARISON
WITH THOSE OF COMMISSIONER SWANELIMINATION
OF THE 〃ADDED〃 COLORS AND THEIR ORIGIN
DISCUSSION OF THE RELATIVE MERITS OF LAMPBLACK；
MADDER AND INDIGOTHE DURABLE VIRTUES OF
INDIGO WHEN EMPLOYED ALONECAUSE OF THE
BROWNING OF INKSLONGEVITY OF INK DUE TO
VEHICLE WHICH CARRIES ITWHEN PERFECT INK
WILL BE INVENTED。
TO ascertain the correct formula of a substantially
permanent ink； as we have learned； has been the aim
during a century or more； of able chemists； manufacturers
and laymen。 Their experiments and study of
ancient and modern documents all point unerringly
in the direction of an ink containing iron and galls。
Accumulated evidence may be said to establish
itself in the light of investigation and experience and
becomes more and more a certainty when considered；
reviewed and discussed in connection with a chronological
history of the 〃gall〃 inks since they came
into semi…official and other uses centuries ago。
Descriptions of MSS。 containing ink writings hundreds
of years old； many of them as legible as when first
written； are silent witnesses whose testimony cannot
be assailed。 Such information when assembled
together minimizes many of the conditions which have
existed and interposed in preventing during the last
four decades a general adoption or re…adoption of
such a tanno…gallate of iron ink； the lasting qualities
of which some of our forefathers estimated would；
and as we know have stood the test of time。
Assuming this character of ink to have been employed
in past centuries； the cause or causes for the
differentiations in respect to color and durability become
of paramount importance。
The investigations of the writer in this direction；
while in some respects traveling the same road followed
by others； diverged from them and has been
more in the nature of a comparative analytical and
microscopic examination of ancient with ancient and
modern with modern documents in connection with
numerous chemical experiments； the manufacture of
hundreds of inks and the study of their time and
other phenomena。
To accomplish this； ancient documents not written
with 〃Indian〃 ink； but with those obviously containing
combinations of iron and galls or other tannins；
were selected and grouped into color families。
They began with the fourteenth century； continuing
well into the nineteenth； to the number of nearly
four hundred； each of them of a different date
and different year。 Some of them were so pale
and indistinct as to be illegible； others less so
and by gradual steps they approached to a definite
black； many of them as rich and deep in color as if
they had been written not centuries ago but within
a few years。 Signatures on the same document represented
different degrees of color； so that the question
of the material on which the writing appeared affecting
the appearance of the ink； was not a factor； but
the difference in the inks used to make the signatures
was the determining factor。
At this point it may be noted that the investigations
conducted by Mr。 Swan before referred to and those
by the writer and the resultant observations of each
were substantially alike。 Many of the writer's； however；
preceded those of Mr。 Swan's； for during the
years 1885 and 1886；