St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-12-01
MAKING INDIA INK.
Materials Used 0y The Chlaess ia lts Cen
OOootl0n.

ROou61OA
After many unsuccessful efforts to
worm the secret of the manufacture OF
India ink out of Chinese science is hn-
ally to have the last say upon this
product Of the celestial empire.
Gunpowder, proclaim, crackle-china.
green indigo, and. in fact. all the very
ancient Chinese products have been un-
veiled to us by science only; and it is
science again that is to teach us how
the Chinese manufacture their cele-
brated ink. The following is fair he
resume of the interesting researches,
crowned with success. that Mr.. Dagron
has made upon this subject.
1t has always been thought up to
the present that the Chinese manu-
facture their ink by grinding a special
lampblack, unknown to Europeans.
with . suitable mucilage discovered
by them, and that the paste obtained
is allowed to dry slowly like their
porcelain. The light that has just
been thrown upon this subject
is due to the progress that has been
made in micrographic studies in recent
years. IN fact, upon submitting . very
dilute solution of the most celebrated
India ink to an examination by . very
powerful microscope, it has been dis
covered that the PARTICLES of carbon
forming the basis Of the ink are Of a
uniform diameter. Upon repeating
such examination with inferior or cOun-
terfeit India inks, it is observed that
the particles of carbon are of very va
riable and sometimes even dispropor-
tionate diameters.
Upon submitting to such control all
the numerous varieties of lampblacks,
it is found that none possesses this reg
ularity of the atoms. The blacks that
most closely approach it are those that
have been comminuted during the man.
ufacture and the lightest portions Sc
lccted. Nevertheless, the diameters of
these are still more irregular than in
India ink.
This first point established. a second
remained to be fixed. Is the mucilage
employed by the Chinese simple or con-
pound? Thanks to the principle estab-
lished by Mr.. c. kncklin, and men,
toned by Mr.. Schutzemberger in his
Traite des Matieres COlOrantes. we
know that two mucilages Of opposite
nature reciprocaily thin one another
upon being mixed. and in proceeding
elimination. after analysis we find that
the compound mucilage employed by
the Chinese unites in itself about the
EXTREMIST th;nncss Of the kGclxlin
principle.
An India ink having been prepared
according to these data, in a state of
solution. and left at rest for one or
more months and then decanted. it was
observed that the particles of carbon
more closely resembled those "f
the genuine India ink. Upon At
terwsrd allowing this liquid ink
to concentrate and evaporate in a
vacuum, there is finally obtained .
plastic substance which, when dried.
has sl the characters Of the best India
ink. 1t was of interest, from = theo-
retical standpoint, to ascertain this
latter fact; but. in ordinary practice.
it seems to be much simpler and more
rational to leave the ink in a liquid
state than to form it into stick. that
it would be necessary later on to re-
dissolve with some trouble.
This liquid ink has the same proper
ties as the best quality Of India ink in
sticks, and serves for the same pur-
poses. such as making drawings and
waShe&-Le Genie Civil.