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Dilute sulphuric acid。 Heat。 Black。
Cobalt in dilute Heat。 Green。
nitrohydrochloric acid。
Lemon juice。 Heat。 Brown。
Oxide of copper in Heat。 Blue。
acetic acid and salt
Nitrate of bismuth。 Infusions of Nutgalls。 Brown。
Common starch。 Iodine in alcohol。 Purple。
Colorless iodine。 Chloride of lime。 Brown。
Phenolphtalin。 Alkaline solution。 Red。
Vanadium。 Pyrogallic acid。 Purple。
The Patent Office at Washington； D。 C。； for more
than forty years employed a violet copying ink made
of logwood。 From 1853 until 1878 it was furnished
by the Antoines of Paris； of the brand termed
〃Imperial；〃 in later years it was supplied by the Fabers。
Since 1896 they have been using 〃combined〃 writing
fluids。
The following facts elicited by the unrollment of a
mummy at Bristol； England； in 1853； were communicated
to the Philosophical Magazine； by Dr。 Herapath。
He says：
〃On three of the bandages were hieroglyphical
characters of a dark color； as well defined as if
written with a modern pen； where the marking fluid
had flowed more copiously than the characters required；
the texture of the cloth had become decomposed
and small holes had resulted。 I have no
doubt that the bandages were genuine； and had
not been disturbed or unfolded； the color of the
marks were so similar to those of the present
'marking ink；' that I was induced to try if they
were produced by silver。 With the blowpipe I
immediately obtained a button of that metal； the
fibre of the linen I proved by the microscope； and
by chemical reagents； to be linen； it is therefore
certain that the ancient Egyptians were acquainted
with the means of dissolving silver； and of applying
it as a permanent ink； but what was their solvent？
I know of none that would act on the
metal and decompose flax fibre but nitric acid；
which we have been told was unknown until discovered
by the alchemist in the thirteenth century；
which was about 2200 years after the date of this
mummy； according as its superscription was read。
〃The Yellow color of the fine linen cloths which
had not been stained by the embalming materials；
I found to be the natural coloring matter of the
flax； they therefore did not； if we judge from this
specimen； practice bleaching。 There were； in some
of the bandages near the selvage； some twenty or
thirty blue threads； these were dyed by indigo；
but the tint was not so deep nor so equal as the
work of the modern dyers； the color had been
given it in the skein。
〃One of the outer bandages was of a reddish
color； which dye I found to be vegetable； but could
not individualize it； Mr。 T。 J。 Herapath analyzed
it for tin and alumina； but could not find any。
The face and internal surfaces of the orbits had
been painted white； which pigment I ascertained
to be finely powdered chalk。〃
〃I am a scribbled form； drawn with a Pen
Upon a Parchment； and against this fire
Do I shrink up。〃
KING JOHN； v； 7。
〃With much ado； his Book before him laid；
And Parchment with the smoother side display'd；
He takes the Papers； lays 'em down agen；
And with unwilling fingers tries his Pen；
Some peevish quarrel straight he tries to pick；
His Quill writes double； or his Ink's too thick；
Infuse more Water； now 'tis grown too thin；
It sinks； nor can the characters be seen。〃
Persius； translated by Dryden。
INKS CALLED SYMPATHETICAL （Seventeenth Century）。
〃These operations are liquors of a different nature；
which do destroy one another； the first is an infusion
of quick…lime and orpin； the second a water turn'd
black by means of burned cork； and the third is a
vinegar impregnated with saturn。
〃Take an ounce of quick…lime； and half an ounce of
orpin； powder and mix them； put your mixture into
a matrass； and pour upon it five or six ounces of water；
that the water may be three fingers breadth above
the powder； stop your matrass with cork； wax； and a
bladder； set it in digestion in a mild sand heat ten or
twelve hours； shaking the matrass from time to time；
then let it settle； the liquid becomes clear like common
water。
〃Burn cork； and quench it in aqua vitae； then dissolve
it in a sufficient quantity of water； wherein you
shall have melted a little gumm arabick； in order to
make an ink as black as common ink。 You must
separate the cork that can't dissolve； and if the ink be
not black enough； add more cork as before。
〃Get the impregnation of saturn made with vinegar；
distilled as I have shewn before； or else dissolve
so much salt of saturn as a quantity of water
is able to receive： write on paper with a new
pen dipt in this liquor； take notice of the place
where you writ； and let it dry； nothing at all will
appear。
〃Write upon the invisible writing with the ink
made of burnt cork； and let it dry； that which you
have writ will appear as if it had been done with common
ink。
〃Dip a little cotton in the first liquor made of lime
and orpin； but the liquor must be first settled and
clear； rub the place you writ upon with this cotton
and that which appeared will presently disappear； and
that which was not seen will appear。
ANOTHER EXPERIMENT。
Take a book four fingers breadth in bigness； or
bigger if you will： write on the first leaf with your
impregnation of saturn； or else put a paper that you
have writ upon between the leaves； turn to t' other
side of the Book； and having observed as near as may
be the opposite place to your writing； rub the last leaf
of the book with cotton dipt in liquor made of quick…
lime and orpin； nay and leave the cotton on the place
clap a folded paper presently upon it； and shutting
the book quickly； strike upon it with your hand four
or five good strokes； then turn the book； and clap it
into a press for half a quarter of an hour； take it out
and open it； you'll find the place appear black； where
you had writ with the invisible ink。 The same thing
might be done through a wall； if you could provide
something to lay on both sides； that might hinder the
evaporation of the spirits。
REMARKS。
〃These operations are indeed of no use； but because
they are somewhat surprizing； I hope the curious will
not take it ill； that I make this small digression。
〃It is a hard matter to explicate well the effects I
have now related； nevertheless I shall endeavour to
illustrate them a little； without having recourse to
sympathy and antipathy； which are general terms； and
do not explicate nothing at all； but before I begin； we
must remark several things。
〃The first is； that it is an essential point to quench
the coal of cork in aqua vitae； that the visible ink m