The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-03-25
49,. FIRST INDIA INK
1T WAS ACCIDENTALLY MADE BY A
CHINESE ALcHEMlST.

Like Many other Things Which Have
No Relation Whatever to Their
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
it has a 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, it is said ia
cetiously, is so called because 1t was
found first in Peru. Therefore india
ink may have been so named because
it 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 a discovery-that
is to say. the individual who produced
it first did so entirely by accident,
without the remotest intention OF doing
anything sensible or useful.
About 5000 years before the Chris
tian 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 Il black substance in the form
of 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 isinglass. 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 a
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 worm wood leaves
with lime or ashes until well seasoned
1t is not stated whether sepia. the
coloring liquid of the cuttlefish, was
added to the ink originally or not: but.
as the best india ink in use at present
has n browrish tint. as if mixed with
sppia it is evident that sepia is used
now in the manufacture of the ink
Sepia alone is used frequently in China
in preference to the black ink.
As soon as it was discovered that in
dia ink was likely to be serviceable to
mankind it WAS perceived by the i'm
perial diet t. he il dangerous innava
ton upon the established custom of
mot" having it to use The empire
had got along very wen without india
ink prior to its discovery. ard it was
Chinese public policy ITO let well
enough alone" Therefore the use Of
the ink was declared 10 be sacrile
gious. and it's manufacture was pro
hibted
Apparently there were ''ruilliOns" in
india ink in those days, for a sharp
competition in its production arose
and this WAS the beginning of trouble
for artists i,id dissftsIuen. The market
was glutted with worthless grades. At
first tie ink was supertine in quality |
and she lanlpblack used in it was
ground into an impalpable powder so
tine that it was as volatile as vapor
and possessed i'll itself an odor Of
nis!s;k Later when competition cor
rupted its production. coarser and
cheaper pigments were substituted for
ba. finn MI tha. inly
Totally peIfumed with musk in order
to disguise its inferiority
The Chinese are passiouately fond OF
musk and india ink was used by them
not only as Il writing material. but
also as u flavor for their choicest bey
craze. y ilttie INDIA ink rubbed IN,
water WIS considered then delicious
drink hui modern india ink can hard
ly he recommended rs IL, safe mediumtI
for interior decoration of that sort
We are informed by the distinguish
I'd historian that all good india inklI
IL inhabited by gods On China there'l
are so many gods that it is ditficult toll
lind lodgings for them all. they are,
hilleted. therefore. upon any conveni
lent article. such as a stick of india
ink From this startling disclosure Of
the historian we might be Justified iDil
presuming that all bad" india ink is
inhabited by devils. This view of the
matter would account for the multi
tuiinous trials and tribulations which
beset the unhappy craftsman who tries.
to make a drawing with poor india
ink. for certainly in unmitigated wick
edness and total depravity india ink,
has few equals and no superiors.--
Weekly Bouquet.
No Paupera In Wic4sftn.