"As for the invisible ink, it is easy to apprehend how that appears black, when the same liquor, which serves to deface the other, is used upon it. For whereas the impregnation of saturn is only a lead suspended by the edges, of the acid liquor, this lead must needs revive, and resume its black colour, when that which held it rarefied is entirely destroyed; so the alkali of quick-lime being filled with the sulphurs of arsenick becomes very proper to break and destroy the acids, and to agglutinate together the particles of lead.
It happens that the visible ink does disappear by reason that the parts which did render it black have been dissolved; and the invisible ink does also appear because the dissolved parts have been revived.
"Quick-lime and, orpiment being mixed and digested together in water, do yield a smell much like that which happens when common sulphur is boiled in a lixivium, of tartar. This here is the stronger, because the sulphur of arsenick is loaded with certain salts that make a stronger impression on the smell. Quick-lime is an alkali that operates in this much like the salt of tartar in the other operation; you must not leave the matrass open, because the force of this water doth consist in a volatile.
"The lime retains the more fixt part of the arsenick and the sulphurs that come forth are so much the more subtile, as they are separated from what did fix them before, and this appears to be so, because the sulphurs must of necessity pass through all the book to make a writing of a clear and invisible liquor appear black and visible: and to facilitate this penetration the book is strook, and then turned about, because the spirit or volatile sulphurs do always tend upwards; you must likewise clap it into a press, that these sulphurs may not be dispersed in the air. I have found, if that these circumstances are not observed, the business fails.
Furthermore that which persuades me that the sulphurs do pass through the book, and not take a circuit to slip in by the sides, as many do imagine, is that after the book is taken out of the press, all the inside is found to be scented with the smell of this liquor.
"There is one thing more to be observed, which is, that the infusion of quick-lime and orpin be newly made, because otherwise it will not have force enough to penetrate. The three liquors should be made in different places too; for if they should approach near one another, they would be spoiled.
"This last effect does likewise proceed from the defacing liquor; for because upon the digestion of quick-lime and orpin, it is a thing impossible for some of the particles will exalt, stop the vessel as close as you will; the air impregnated with these little bodies does mix with, and alter the inks, insomuch that the visible ink does thereby become the less black, and the invisible ink does also acquire a little blackness."Priceless MSS. in immense number written in periods between the third and thirteenth centuries have been destroyed by modern scholars in experimentations based on the false theory that the faded inks on them, whether above or below other inks (palimpsests), contained iron.
Sulphocyanide of potassium is highly esteemed as a reagent for the restoration of writing, if iron is present.
Theoretically, it is one of the best for such a purpose if employed with acetic acid. It causes, however, such a decided contraction of parchment as to be utterly useless, but for paper MSS. is excellent. The metallic sulphides generally pronounced harmless, causes the writing to soften and become illegible in a short time. On the other hand, yellow prussiate of potash, with acetic acid in successive operations is of great service in treating the most perplexing palimpsests.
Ink which badly corrodes a steel pen need not necessarily be condemned; it may contain just the qualities which make it bind to the paper and render it more durable.
Some inks which are fairly permanent against time if not tampered with, can be removed with water.
This is true of the most lasting of inks,--the old "Indian."In ancient Latin MSS. the words fuco, fucosus and fucus are found to be frequently employed. It is interesting to note the variations in their meaning:
FUCO.--To color, paint or dye a red color.
FUCOSUS.--Colored, counterfeit, spurious, painted, etc.
FUCUS.--Rock lichen (orchil) red dye. Red or purple color. The (reddish) juice with which bees stop up the entrance to their hives. Bee glue.
FUCUS.--A drone.
In Japan the word "ink" possesses more than one meaning Four hundred Inks--one degree of sixty miles." (See Geographical Grammar, of 1737, page 3.)"Say what you will Sir, but I know what I know;That you beat me at the Mart, I have your hand to show;If the skin were Parchment, and the blows you gave were Ink, Your own Hand-writing would tell you what I think."--Comedy of Errors, iii, 1.
The first book ever printed in Europe, to wit, a copy of "Tully's Offices," is carefully preserved in Holland.
White's Latin-English Dictionary, 1872, distinguishes the words Atramentum and Sutorium in their interpretations.
ATRAMENTUM.--The thing serving for making black. A black liquid of any kind. A writing ink.
Shoemaker's black. Blue vitriol.
SUTORIUM.--Belonging to a shoemaker.
Before the employment of blotting paper a pounce-box which contained either powdered gum sandarach and ground cuttle-fish bones, or powdered charcoal, sand and like materials was used by shaking it like a pepper-box on freshly written manuscripts.
Blotting paper as first employed consisted of very thin sheets and of a dark pink color, which fashion changed to blue in later years.
Good blotting paper of the present time removes fully two thirds of fresh ink when used on HARDfinished paper.
Blotting paper should not be used upon records.
Its use removes the body of the ink, leaving discoloration, but nothing for penetration. In inks intended for copying, the employment of blotting paper is especially bad.
