Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-07-31
THE FIRST INDIA INK
IT WAS ACCIDENTALLY MADE ey A
CHINESE AlcheMlsT.

Like Many OtAeP Things which Have
No Relation whatever to Their
Names, Iadia lax aas No Connee-
tion with India.
For many thousand years india ink
has been to the artist and to the arti-
san the vehicle for the creation Of
much that Ii interesting and Instructive
and beautiful In the world Of art, and
II has rather extraordinary history.
Like many other things which have
no relation whatever to their names,
india Ink has no relation whatever to
India The Irish potato. II Ii said ia
cetIously. is 30 called because 1t was
found first In Peru. Therefore india
Ink may have been 70 named because
Il was made first In China, where the
bulk OF II has been made ever since.
Also, like most other things Of prac-
teal utility to mankind, india ink was
not an invention, but discovery-thet
Is to say. the Individual who produced
Il first did so entirely by accident,
without the remotest intention Of doing
anything sensible or useful.
About 1900 years before the Chris
tan era Chinese alchemist. Ten
Tschen by name. while experimenting
upon some nostrum for the eternal
preservation Of life or upon some for
mula for converting dirt into gold-it
matters not Enthusiastically con.
cocted a black substance In the form
OF a liquid paint or varnish. This con
coction was the first india Ink.
The black pigment which forms the
base OF the ink was the SCOT obtained
by burning lac and pine charcoal. This
SCOT was powdered finely and mixed
with some kind Of size or glue. Fish
glue. or isinglnss. was used as well as
bone or horn glue. and sometimes. In
making the finer qualities Of Ink. pearls
were boiled In glue. Sometimes dried
OK tongue was added TO give the Ink
purple tint. and the bark OF the pepper
tree was used to produce tinge OF
blue. The ink was carefully nodded.
dried and packed In wormwood leaves
with lime or ashes until well seasoned.
Il is not stated whether sepia. the
coloring liquid Of the cuttlefsh. was
added to the ink originally or not; but.
as the best india Ink In use ut present
has n brownIsh tint, as II mixed with
sepia. Il Is evident that sepia 10 used
now In the manufacture Of the Ink.
Sepia alone Is used frequently In China
I'm preference TO the black ink.
As soon az II was discovered that In
dia ink was likely to be serviceable to
mankind Il was perceived by the I'm
pcrial diet TO be dangerous innova-
ton upon the established custom OF
mot" having II to use. The empire
had got along very well without India
Ink prior TO Its discovery, and II was
Chinese public policy ito let well
enough alone" Therefore the use Of
the Ink was declared TO be sacrile-
gious, and It's manufacture was pro-
hibIted.
Apparently there were millions In
india Ink In those days. for a sharp
competition In Its production arose.
and this was the beginning Of trouble
for artists and craftsmen. The market
WINS glutted with worthless grades. At
FIRST the Ink was superfine In quality.
and the lanpblack used In II was
ground into an impalpable powder 30
fine that IL was rs volatile as yapor
aud possessed In Itself an odor OF
musk. Later. when competition cor
rupted lbs production. coarser and
cheaper pigments were substituted for
the fine ones. and the Ink was arti-
ticially perfumcd with musk In order
to disguise It's lnferiority.
The Chinese are passionately fond OF
musk. and india Ink was used by them
not only as n writing material. but
niso as a flavor for their choicest bev-
erages. A little india Ink rubbed In
water was considered then delicious
drink. but modern india Ink can hard
" be recommended as a safe medium
for Interior decoration Of that sort.
We are informed by the distinguish
ed historian that NIL good" india Ink
In inhabited by gods Gin China there
are so many gods that II Is difficult to
ind lodgings for them all; they are
billeted. therefore. upon any conven-
lent article. such as stick OF india
INK From this startling disclosure Of
the historian We might be justified In
presumIng that all bad india Ink Is
inhabited by devils. This view Of the
matter would account for the multi
tudInous trials and tribulations which
beset the unhappy craftsman who tries
to make drawing with poor india
Ink. for certainly In unmitigated. wick
edness and total depravity india Ink
~. Soxy anuolo and no qunarl0rG -