Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-05-15

Among the mlny discoveries of the age, dcvcl
arts little has been dcile by chemical science to i'm
prove and perfect this cart prcservative OF al
arts" An ink perfectly black, limpid and indelli
bic, has yet to be discovered.
Nutgalls appear to be the only really valuable III
gredicnt in modern inks--thc value and pernanenc'
of which depend upon the proper quantity Of gallo
acid extracted from the gals being used in its prep
araton but nutgalls are expensive, and ink maker:
are apt to increase their profits by substituting log
wood, which gives a large amount of coloring mat
ter at a small cost.
compound Of biclromate Of potash and tho
extract of l0gwood, discovered by the German
chemists few years since, makes limpid ink
black when first used, at cost OF less than three
cents gallon; but it is vile dye, totally valucless
as an ink, fading out in Il few weeks exposure to
the light, and becoming illcgible in a few years
however securely kept. Still, its cheapness, ease
of manufacture, and apparent good qualities when
first made, have caused it to be extensively manu-
Pictured and sold, particularly in the Western
States. The recipe for its production has been sold
Northern States as very great secret, which ev-
cry particular buyer would make his fortune by get
ting exclusive possession oiat all prices from one
to fifty dollars. a cute yankees near Boston, was
victmzed to the tune of $3.50 for the secret, which
lie calculated would make his fortune, by making
ink for nothing.
The ink used by the ancicnts was made with
H.
ter, and is indcstrictble by timc but this ink is
impracticable in this age, when barrels are used
where penful Sulliced.
The value of permanent ink cannot be question
cd; for State, town. and county records and the like
it is of vital Importance that the ink should be leg
ible in generations to come. Too little attention
is paid to this matter by our registers. writer in
the April number of the New England Historical
and Genealogical Magazine, speaking of the town
records of Bolton, Conn, and making suggestions
for their preservation, &C., says: "Morcover, the
ink is fast fading out" This matter of permanent
ink is fast attracting much attention in Europe
particularly in the Government Offices, Records,
Courts, &c.
Prot. Sharp, of Edinburg, in a paper recently
rcaa before tue oya society OF Arts, gives the re-
sn!t of series of elaborate experiments designed
to test the permancnce of writing ink by exposure
to the light and the action of the elements.
DR.. Chiffon, of New York, has submitted num-
Der of the principal inks of this country to similar
trial, with view to test their relative indeliblc
qualities. The result of his experiments is before
Us in finely engraved fac-simile of the original
paper, upon which the Doctor wrote with four diff
fcrent inks, and then exposed the writing five
months to the action of the weather upon the roof
of his laboratory.
This test appears to be conclusive, so far as it
goes, as showing what will be the action of time on
manuscripts il: various stages of exposure. The
matter is suggestive and of importance to all who
would preserve legble records for future genera
tions.-N Y. Tribune