AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 42T 



pathetic ink may be made of onion juice ; it is, lio\rever, very seldom used 

 in the present day. 



Mr. Stetson, spoke of the faded condition of the original signatures to 

 the "Declaration of Independence," now in the United States Patent 

 Office, at the same time that the body of the " Declaration" itself, is in a 

 good state of preservation, showing that there were both bad and good inks 

 in those days. S. 0. Dunbar, Taunton, Mass., manufactures very good 

 writing ink, which is black at the moment of being used. 



Professor Reuben, knew of no inks which are pale when written with, 

 but which, on standing for a few hours in the light or in an inkstand, will 

 throw down a very decided deposit or sediment. 



Dr. Vanderweyde, exhibited some drawings made with Indian ink, and 

 some made with sepia, to show the relative value and uses of these two 

 coloring materials in drawing. 



Mr. Seeley attributed the fact of so much ink now fading, to the use of 

 steel pens, which gives an excess of iron to the ink. Nutgalls should be 

 well boiled to extract the tannin. 



Drs. Reuben and Vanderweyde, and Mr. Stetson, agreed in considering 

 that the oily substance remaining in the pores of the poorer qualities of 

 writing paper, or received by the paper from-the hand in passing over it 

 while writing, is the principal cause why the inks do not adhere, particu- 

 larly to the lower parts of each sheet. 



Dr. Vanderweyde further stated, that the same effect will be produced 

 by mixing milk with the ink. But that an ink as durable as the paper 

 may be obtained by mixing a carbon ink with a chemical ink ; the chemical 

 ink to prevent rubbing off, and the carbon ink to prevent fading. 



Mr. Seeley stated that the bank bills, colored with different colored inks 

 over-lapping, have never been successfully counterfeited or photographed. 

 Also that faded inks can be restored by moistening the paper with a thick 

 solution of nutgalls, which is to remain on the paper until it adheres to 

 the faded ink lines. 



The Association having selected as a subject for next evening, " The 

 Manufacture of Steel and Malleable Iron." 



Adjourned. 



American Institute, Polytechnic Association, \ 



Maij ISfk, 1859. J 



Professor Mason, Chairman. John Johnson, Esq., Secretary pro tern. 



Miscellaneous Business — .Mr. Johnson remarked that as the durability 

 of inks had been called in question, on the last evening, he had brought 

 with him for exhibition, some manuscripts, written during the reign of 

 Elizabeth, and in the same hand as that in which Shakspeare Wrote his plays. 

 These manuscripts showed a high state of preservation. 



Mr. Seeley thought the ink with which they were written was Indian ink. 



