Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-08-06
THE FIRST INDIA INK
IT WAS ACCIDENTALLY MADE BY A
CHINESE ALCHEMIST.

Like Many Other Things Which Hav,
Ma Relation N~hatever to Thei,
Names, India Ink Has No Connec.
ton 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 Is interesting and instructive
and beautiful in the world of art, and
1t has a rather extraordinary history.
Like many other things which have
no relation whatever TO tlcir names,
india ink has no rotation Whatsoever to
India. The Irish prtaip. a - " ID IA
~cet!ously, is so called because 1t was
found iirst in Peru. Tho elOIe india
ink may have been 50 named because
it was made first in China, where the
bulk of it has been made cvor since.
Also, ike most other things Of prac-
teal utility 20 mankind, india ink was
not al invention, but a discoYery-that
is 10 say, the individual who produced
it first did so entirely by accident,
without the relnotest intention of doing
anything sensible or useful.
About 1850 years before the Chris
tian era a Chinese alchcmist, 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 what-accidentally con-
noatnI1 n 1ln,I .,tlct,,- va, Il, f1,r own,
of IA liquid paint or varnish. This con-
coctiOn was the first india ink.
The black pigment which forms the
base of the ink VAS the SCOT obtained
by burning lac and pine charcoal. This
SCOT was powdered finely and mixed
glue, or isirglass, yas used as we'll as
bone or horn glue. and sometimes, in
making the finer Qualities of ink. pearls
were boiled in glue. Sometimes dried
* tongue was az ! to gin The ink a
purple tint. and the Dark Of the pepper
tree was used to "piuce a tinGc of
Blue. The i C., fully nodded,
dried and pa a.Ym"ood leaves
with lime 6 matil wen seasoned.
>+-.t s.,- whether sppia. the
e. f,. iuuid f the. cuit'eiiSh. was
addgd to the inl originally or nos; but.
as the h'st ind'N ink in -sp AT resent
has Il brown ~ tint. a IT. lliNed with
sepia, it is evident that ii is used
nov in the manufactu If the ink.
Sepia alone is used f"equc'.'y in China
in preference to the tack TX.
As soon as it vas discovered that ~
dia ink vas likely to be ~serviccal;e f.
man!-ind it was perceived by the 'o
perial diet to be Il dangerous innova-
ton upon the established custom uf
mot" having it to use. The empire
had got along very well without india
ink prior to its discovery. and it was
Chinese public policy ito let we'll
enough alone" Therefore the use Of
the ink was declared to be %sacrile-
gious. aud it's manufacture was pro-
hibitcd.
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
was glutted with worthless grades. At
first the ink was supertine in quality,
and the lampblack used in it was
ground into an impalpable powder so
tine that it was as volatile as vapor
and possessed in itself an odor OF
musk, later, when competition cor
rupted its production, coarser and
hiU1nnnfc urnrA c1,hufif1tnF1 fnr
the fine one and the ink was arti-
ticialIy perfumed with musk in order
to Disguise its inferiority.
The Chinese are passionately fond OF
musk, AMI india ink was used by them
not only rs a writing material, but
also as IL flavor for their choicest bev-
erages. A little india ink rubbed in
was considered then a delicious
drink, but modern india ink can hard
~ be recommended as a safe medium
anterior decoration of that sort.
We are Informed by the distinguish
eel historian that all good" india ink
is Inhabited by gods. Gin China there
are so many gods that it is difficult to
find lodgings for them all; they are
billeted. therefore, upon any conven-
lent article, such as a stick of india
.nk.) From this startling disclosure Of
The historian we might be justified in
that all bad" india ink Is
Inhabited by devils. This view of the
would account for the multi
,udinous trials and tribulations which
oeset the unhappy craftsman who tries
make a drawing with poor india
for certainly in unmitigated wick
and total depravity india ink
las few equals and nc superiors.-
Bouquet.