按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
called Paper Mill run； which empties into the Wissahicken
river； was located the site which in company
with William Bradford； a printer； he chose for
his mill。 The paper was made from linen rags；
mostly the product of flax raised in the vicinity and
made first into wearing apparel。
It was Reaumer； who in 1719 first suggested the
possibility of paper being made from wood。 He
obtained his information on this subject from examination
of wasps' nests。
Matthias Koops in 1800 published a work on
〃Paper〃 made from straw； wood and other substances。
His second edition appeared in 1801 and
was composed of old paper re…made into new。 Another
work on the subject of 〃Paper from Straw； &c。；〃
by Piette； appeared in 1835； which said work contains
more than a hundred pages； each one of which
was made from a different kind of material。
Many other valuable works are obtainable which
treat of rag paper manufacture and the stories they
tell are instructive as well as interesting。
CHAPTER XXXI。
MODERN INK BACKGROUNDS （WOOD PAPER AND 〃SAFETY〃
PAPER）。
SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT PAPER…MAKING
MATERIALSPROBABILITIES AS TO THE FUTURE OF
THE PUBLIC RECORDSESTIMATION OF SUCH MATTERS
BY THE LATE POPEINVENTION OF WOOD…PULP PAPER
ITS LASTING QUALITIESTHE THREE KINDS OF SUCH
PAPER DEFINEDDISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT OF
FUNGI IN PAPER BY GLYDESOME TESTS TO ASCERTAIN
THE MATERIAL OF WHICH PAPER IS COMPOSED
TESTS AS TO SIZING AND THE DETERMINATION OF THE
DIRECTION OF THE GRAINABSORBING POWERS OF
BLOTTING PAPERTESTS FOR GROUND WOODNEW
MODE OF ANALYSTSWHEN THE FIRST 〃SAFETY〃
PAPER WAS INVENTEDTHE MANY KINDS OF 〃SAFETY〃
PAPER AND PROCESSES IN THEIR MANUFACTURE
CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW COVERING THIS SUBJECT
SURVEY OF THE VARIOUS PROCESSES IN THE TREATMENT
AND USE OF 〃SAFETY〃 PAPERONLY THREE
CHEMICAL 〃SAFETY〃 PAPERS NOW ON THE MARKET
WHY IT IS POSSIBLE TO RAISE SOME MONETARY
INSTRUMENTS。
PAPER manufacturers have tried all the pulp…making
substances。 This statement to the unlearned must
seem curious； because in the very early times they
were content with a single material and that did not
even require to be first made into the form of pulp。
When the supply of papyrus failed； it was rags which
they substituted。 By the simplest processes they
produced a paper with which our best cannot compare。
In some countries great care is exercised in
selecting the quality of paper for official use； in others
none at all。
What will be the state of our archives a few hundred
years hence； if they be not continually recopied？
Some of the printed paper rots even more quickly
than written。
The late Pope at one time invited many of the
savants； chemists and librarians of Europe； to meet
at Einsiedlen Abbey in Switzerland。 He requested
that the subject of their discussions should be both
ink and paper。 He volunteered the information；
already known to the initiated； that the records of
this generation in his custody and under his control
were fast disappearing and unless the writing materials
were much improved he estimated that they
would entirely disappear。 It is stated that at this
meeting the Pope's representative submitted a number
of documents from the Vatican archives which
are scarcely decipherable though dated in the nineteenth
century。 In a few of those of dates later than
1873 the paper was so tender that unless handled
with exceptional care； it would break in pieces like
scorched paper。
These conditions are in line with many of those
which prevail with few exceptions in every country；
town or hamlet。
A contributory cause as we know is a class of poor
and cheap inks now in almost universal use。 The
other is the so…called 〃modern〃 or wood…pulp paper
in general vogue。
Reaumur； as already stated； back in 1719 suggested
from information gathered in examinations of wasps'
nests； that a paper might be manufactured from
wood。 This idea does not appear to have been acted
upon until many years later； although in the interim
inventors were exhausting their ingenuity in the
selection of fibrous materials from which paper might
be manufactured。
The successful introduction of wood as a substitute
for or with rags in paper manufacture until about
1870 was of slow growth； since which time vast
quantities have been employed。 In this country
alone millions of tons of raw material are being imported
to say nothing of home products。
Its value in the cause of progress of some arts
which contribute greatly to our comfort and civilization
cannot be overestimated； but nevertheless the
wood paper is bound to disintegrate and decay； and
the time not very far distant either。 Hence； its use
for records of any kind is always to be condemned。
There are three classes of wood pulp； mechanical
wood； soda process； and the sulphite。 The first or
mechanical wood is a German invention of 1844；
where the logs after being cut up into proper blocks；
were then ground against a moving millstone against
which they were pressed and with the aid of flowing
water reduced to a pulpy form。 This pulp was
transported into suitable tanks and then pumped to
the 〃beaters。〃
The soda process wood and sulphite wood pulp are
both made by chemical processes。 The first was
invented by Meliner in 1865。 The preparation of
pulp by this process consists briefly in first cutting up
the logs into suitable sections and throwing them
into a chipping machine。 The chips are then introduced
into tanks containing a strong solution of
caustic soda and boiled under pressure。
The sulphite process is substantially the same except
that the chips are thrown into what are called
digesters and fed with the chemicals which form an
acid sulphite。 The real inventor of this latter process
is not known。
The chemicals employed in both of these processes
compel a separation of the resinous matters from the
cell tissues or cellulose。 These products are then
treated in the manufacturing of paper with few variations；
the same as the ordinary rag pulp。
These now perfected processes are the results of long
and continuing experimentations made by many inventors。
The following paper was read before the London
Society of Arts by Mr。 Alfred Glyde； in May； 1850；
and is equally applicable to some of the wood paper
of the present day：
〃Owing to the imperfections formerly existing
in the microscope； little was known of the real nature
of the plants called fungi until within the last
few years； but since the improvements in that instrument
the subject of the development； growth；
and offices of the fungi has received much attention。
They compose； with the algae and lichens；
the class of thallogens （Lindley）； the algae existing
in water； the other two in air only。 A fungus
is a cellular flowerless plant； fructifying solely by
spores； by which it is propagated； and the methods
of attachment of which are singularly various and
beautiful。 The fungi differs from the lichens and
algae in deriving their nourishment from the
substances on which they grow； instead of from the
media in which they live。 They contain a larger
quantity of nitrogen in their constitution than vegetables
generally do； and the substance called 'fungine'
has a near resemblance to animal matter。
Their spores are inconceivably numerous and minute；
and are diffused very widely； developing
themselves wherever they find organic matter in a
fit state。 The principal conditions required for
their growth are moisture； heat； and the presence
of oxygen and electricity。 No decomposition or
development of fungi takes place in dry organic
matter； a fact illustrated by the high state of
preservation in which timber has been found after the
lapse of centuries； as well as by the condition of
mummy…cases； bandages； etc。； kept dry in the hot
climate of Egypt。 Decay will not take place in a
temperature below that of the freezing point of
water； nor without oxygen； by excluding which； is
contained in the air； meat and vegetables may be
kept fresh and sweet for many years。
〃The action which takes place when moist vegetable
substances are exposed to oxygen is that of
slow combustion （'eremacausis'）； the oxygen
uniting with the wood and liberating a volume of
carbonic acid equal to itself； and another portion
combining with the hydrogen of the wood to form
water。 Decomposition takes place on contact with
a body already undergoing the same change； in the
same manner that yeast causes fermentation。 Animal
matter enters into combination with oxygen in
precisely the same way as vegetable matter； but as；
in addition to carbon and hydrogen； it contains nitrogen；
the products of the eremacausis are more
numerous； being carbon and nitrate of ammonia；
carburetted and sulphuretted hydrogen； and water；
and these a