New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
PERlSIIABI!E BOOK PAPERS.
THEY GRANGE COLOR AND FALL TO
PIECES.

prIrI,H SOCIETY OF ARrs-THE EVILS or
WOOD rr1r AND CERTAIN CHEMICALS
USED IN PAPER -MAKINo
II is one Of the unfortunate results OF sharp
connection IN trade that unscrupulous p:oduc-
era will put AT inferior article on the market II
thereby they can increase their profits Inc oiu
prihe In the quality Of the goods ohefcu mas
given way in countless Industries 10 a|ar''e VI
tie necessity OF meeting Il dangerous rivalry. !"
co,s.ouonce the public has oleornargarine
offered to 1t instead Of butte, eli maze HUI"
c,ttonsrcd instead of olives. prune juice and
alum water instead Of c!aret and hos' OF o'he'
authorizations and substituted And vcry large
share of the public. through ignorance ana
poor taste. buys and consumes these limitations
and tn. perpetrators OF fraud prosper accord
insiy.
One OF the most notable Industrial reNoiu-
tons Of the last quarter Of century IS tha'
which has occurred in the paper trade as a
result " the invention OF wood pulp years
ago Il was customary to make paper almost
exclusively out Of rags, either cotton or linen.
Tho best stationery required the use Of the
latter fibre hut for news and book paper c"''""
was satisfactory raw material Ana me paper
made in those days vas good. Ii lasted Tor gen
eratinns II often outlivcd the INK when was
cnlrlovcd in writing or printing on IT, surface.
Nowadays the ink Is frequently more "ut""'
than the fabric to which it l. applied d! press
or pen. In the case Of newspapers ana '"'i'
snondenc. If transient interest tins i"iiSi'''"-
ity is a matter Il little Importance. Hu' 'h'
book publisher also makes use % Inferior '''cK K
ana il thus comes about that the librarian ana
private collector have constant occasion {" ''-
wall the sudden and rapid deterioration f ih'ir
literary stores.
i British organization known a. IN" Society
o. Arts appointed committee sos .'i.l N'i''"S
az, to look into this evil and {" ilht" fu ID
recommendations as should s"'in IT. tn i'i'''
oc this committc. has recently been pG.'i-h.l
Therein the wonderful difference ~ dHF'''''''
between the books which have com" 1'nn to "a
from the Middle Ages and th.se O; M '"-.
Two decades is clearly stated. altroueh 90.
who, tone Of tho document b. ,an.''ft tlN- '"'
moderate. Two forms Of deterioration 'r" o'-
served one is disintcxrat.on ana the other +
Qi>coloraton.
DISINTTGRATION IN ALL GRADES
Actual dsintcgration has been lr"u"i' ="
light in papers Of all grades. from th"s' ~ til"
best quality as regards the nbroas materials =
which they are composed l. 60 rag piper. AIS
Of course. in thosc OF lowest quality. j. g.. con
tanning mechanical wood pulp In lars" Ii"i"i
tons The books examined had IN certain cases
been subject to ordinary conditions ~ s'"i'f
and use; the I in such cases Is INDEPENDENT
Of wear and tear. 1t is IN" result az chem. tI
change Of the nbrcs themselves. In other cases
the damages could be traced 10 tn" effects "i
Illuminating gas upon thu atm"srh"r" 81 'h'
rooms i'm which the books had been stored -
NAV be generally concluded that all papers are
liable 10 such extreme chemical change. J. 90
resulting in dsiricgraton.
As to the causes determining such change.
In the case Of he rag papers examined the
effects appear to lac du" to acid bodies; tn"
disintceration may be generally referred I"
acldity The acids may hav" been present III
the original paper as made. or they may nave re
suited from reactions going on In the paper
itself after making. or lastly. they may have
been due 70 products Of gas combustion III IN"
case Of mechanical wood pulp the effects ar"
tra,calIc to oxidation pure and Simple; th"
disintocrati.n is accompanied 10y a basic OF aka
line reaction Of the paper
CAUSES or DlSCOIORATION.
Dlscoloration may be said also To- affect al
papers more or less. 1t takes various forms.
the most marked effect is "A darkcninc Of color.
which spreads inward from the margins. but a
common case is hat Of "A uniform die, "oration.
The latter would bc the result of changes in
the paper itself; the former Is determined 10y
external agency. such as hy the action Of an
atmosphere charged with the products OF com
bustion Of coal gas. 1t is complex effect; that
is while il may bc the indirect result OF the
action Of both acids and oxidants upon the
constituents of the paper 1t - Immediately
produced 10y changes in products Of such action;