The evening times., 1900-03-06
THE ANTIQUITY OF INDIA INK.
= Discovery 1000 Years Before the
Christian Era.

tlrOm the ChiClGJ Chr0uicle.l
India ink was not first discovered, as its
name would seem 90 indicate, in India.
The earliest records We nave Of il show
that it was first made in China. and the
bulk Of the present day supply Is brought
from that country Like many things Ot
practical utility TO mankind. India ink was
not an invention. but a discovery. That
is 10 say, the Individual who produced 10
first did 50 entirely by accident, without
the remCtest intention Of doing anything
sensible or useful
About {. 3.G00 years before the Christian
era a Chinese alchemist. Tien-Tschen by
name. while experimenting upon some nos
trUm for the eternal preservation Of life.
or upon some formula for converting dirt
into gOld-lt matters not what-aCci-
dentaIly cCncCcted o black substance in the
sOrm Of a liquid paint or Varuish- This con-
Coctiou was the first India ink The slack
pigment which forms The base OF the ink
was the sOO- obtained by burning lee and
pine charcoal This SCOT was powdered
finely and mixed with some kind Of size o.
glue Fish glue. ~ isiCGilss. was used, as
wei as bone or horn glue. and sometimes.
in making the finer qualities Of ink. pearls
were boiled iu the glue Sometimes dried
OK tongue vas added &c give the ink
purple tint, and the bark o. the pepper tree
vas used TO produce tinge Of blue. The
packed in NORWOOD leaves with lime OF
ashes. until weI seasoned.
Il Is not stated whether sepia. the color
ing liquid OF the cuttledsh. was added 20
the ink originally or not but as the best
India ink in use at present has a brOwnish
I tint as If mixed with sepia. l. is evident
that scpia is used now in the manufacture
OF the ink. Sepia alone is used frequently
IN China in preference TO the black ink
HH-H a O. Tsr.T- -rr
( ink was likely 10 be serviceabIe 10 man
kind. il was perceived by the Imperial Diet
I to be a dangerous innovation upon the es-
[ tablished custom Of not" having it 20 use.
| The empire hal gotten along very well
without India nix prior 10 its discovery,
and II was Chinese public policy ITO let
/ well enough alone" Therefore, the use OF
/ India ink was declared 20 be sacrileEiOus
/ and its manufacture was prohibited Aft
[ ervard it Gawned upon the versatle mind
/ controlling the dCSJiuies OF the imperial eX-
I ChsQuer that there were great possibilities
/ Of revenue in the production Of India ink
! II judiciOusly absorbed by imperial pre-
! negatives. Accordingly. the ban was re
I moved from the Offending industry. which
I revived quickly. though restricted TO the
/ province Of angst and heavily handi-
capped with an enormous tribute eXacJed by
the Emperor.
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 drafts
men. The market was Sluttsd with worth
less grades. AT first the ink was super
fine in quality and the Iampblack used in it
was ground into an impalpahle powder so
fine that it was as volatile as yapor and
possessed in itself an odOr OF musk Later.
/ when competition corrupted its production
coarser and cheaper pigments were substi-
tuted FOR the fne ones and the ink was
artiticiaily perfumed with musk in order 70
disguise It's interiOrity-
The Chinese are passiOnateiy fond OF
musk and India ink was used by them
not only as a writing material. but also
as a flavor for their choicest beverages. a
little India ink rubbed in water was con-
sidered. then. a most delicious drink, but
modern India ink can hardly be recon-
mended as a safe medium for interior dec-
Grafton Of that sort
We are informed by the distinguished
historian that all good India ink is in
many gods that IL Is difficult to find lodS-
ings for them all. they are billeted, there
fore. upon any convenient article. such az
a stick Of India iub) From this startling
/ disclosure Of the historian we might bf
justified in presuming that all bad
India ink is Inhabited by devils. Thi.
view of the matter would account for tn,
I multitudinous trials and tribulations whicl
! beset the unhappy craftsman who trie'
I to make q drawing with poor India ink
for. certainly, in unmiJgated wicSeanes!
and total depravity poor India ink has few
! EQUALS and no supeIicrs-