MANUFACTURE OF PAPKR. 190 



adhere to each other and form a single sheet, whicli was then dried 

 in the sun. The glutinous sticky sap of the nuiterial was sufficient 

 to bind and hold the slices together in a firm and compact sheet. 

 In the Roman times, a thin sizing was brushed over the sheets, when 

 they were beaten smooth with a mallet and polished with a piece of 

 ivory or a shell. 



Various qualities were manufactured and used as occasion required, 

 from the finest writing to wrapping paper. 



In the reign of Claudius, fineness, strength and color were imparted 

 by putting a new layer of the best slices over a sheet of coai-ser 

 quality. Paper found on mummies recovered from the Pyramids, 

 Egyptian tombs. Catacombs and overwhelmed cities indicate an 

 antiquity of 2,000 years before Christ, and through decipherment 

 of the writings thereon much information has been obtained as to 

 the history, manners, customs and literature of the Egyptians. 



Papu, or pai)yrus, was usually made into rolls fifteen inches in 

 width by one hundred and fifty feet in length, and cut oflT as required. 



In the seventh century the conquest of Egypt by the Sai-acens 

 put an end to the export of Paj)yius, and Western Euroj)e was 

 obliged to supply its place with Parchment and Vellum, until the 

 introduction of pai)er. 



Parchment was in use about AOO years B.C. and about a century 

 B.C. it was the chief material for writing upon, when its use spread 

 all over Europe. Parchments were made of the skins of sheep 

 and goats while Vellum was made of the skins of young calves, kids 

 and lambs. 



Animal parchment has been superseded by vegetable parchment 

 or parchment paper, first known in 1854, which resembles animal 

 parchment so closely that it is not easy to distinguish the difterence. 

 It is made by immei'sing unsized paper in a bath of oil of vitriol or 

 sulphuric acid. The exactness of the })ath and the time of immersion 

 are of the greatest importance to the success of the result and several 

 apparently tiifling points must be carefully attended to, or the 

 operation will not succeed. The alteration which takes place in the 

 paper is very remarkable. No chemical change is effected, nor is 

 the weight increased, but a decided molecular change takes place. 

 Insects do not like it, and it is valuable for Land Patents, Deeds 

 Diplomas and valuable documents deserving px'eservation. 



