I N K 



«fSciou3 in this way, when he can accomplifh hy it fomc 

 better objeft than the merely fatisfyinjr his own curiotity. 

 Now, fince the removal of prcfPure oii" the furface of the 

 brain is tlie only admifllble reafon for ever perforating the 

 cranium, and fince dividing the fcalp cannot be ufefiil, unlefs 

 preparatory to fuch operation, it is clear that neither the 

 one nor the other Ihould ever be done, excepting fuch fymp- 

 toms exill as unequivocally denote the prevalence of a dan- 

 gerous degree of prelTure on the brain, caufcd either by 

 matter, extravafated blood, or deprciTed portion of the 

 Ikull. 



The true mode of preventing the bad effefts frequently 

 following, but not arifiug from lln>ple fraftures of the llcull, 

 (by which we mean cafes unaccompanied by urgent fymp- 

 toms of prefTure,) is not to trepan, but to put in pradice 

 all kinds of antiphlogilHc means. For this purpofe, let 

 the patient be repeatedly and copioufly bled, both in the 

 arm and temporal arteries ; let him be properly purged ; 

 give hiir. antimonials ; keep him on the lowell diet ; let 

 him remain in the mod quiet fituation poflible ; and if, not- 

 withftanding fuch Heps, the fymptoms of inflammation of 

 the brain continue to incrtafe, let his head be fiiaven, and 

 a large bliilcr be applied to it. When, in fpile of all ihefe 

 meafures, matter forms under the cranium, attended with 

 fymptoms of prcflure, a puffy tumour of the injured part 

 of the fcalp, or thofe changes of the wound (if there be 

 one), which Mr Pott has fo excellently defcribed, and we 

 have already related ; not a i.iOment fhould be loit in de- 

 laying to perforate the bone with a trephine, fo as to give 

 vent to the matter collected u..derneath. 



Before concluduig, we have one important caution to 

 offer, which is, in all cafes of injuries of the head from 

 external violence, to continue an antiphlogiftic regimen at 

 lead, a month after any ferious accident of this defcription ; 

 for it is by no means uncommon for inflammation of the 

 brain to follow injuries of the head a very conliderable time 

 after the patients have had reafon to fancy themfelves in 

 perfedl; fafety. Pott on Injuries of the Head ; Difeafe on 

 Wounds of the Head : Hill's Cafes in Surgery; Aberne- 

 thy on Injuries of the Head ; Cooper's Diftionary of 

 Pr^dlical Surgery, &c. 



Other fubjedl':, immediately connefted with the preceding, 

 will be found under the articles Compression, Concussion, 



EXTHAVASATIUN, and TUEPANNING. 



INK, a liquor wherewith to write on paper or parch- 

 ment. 



Ink, Pr'mi'mg. See Printing. 



Ink, Writing, is commonly made of copperas and galls, 

 and gum ar-bic ; but other aftringent plants may ferve tlie 

 fame purpofe ; fuch as oak-bark, red rofes, logwood, or 

 fumach. Mr. Boyle feems to doubt whether all aftringent 

 vegetaiiles will do the fame. 



Many are the preparations and methods of compounding 

 the materials for making of writing ink. For many years 

 the ink molt generally ufed by European writers has been 

 the infufion of galls and other ailringent vi-getables, con- 

 taining gallic-ftcid, rendered black by fulphate of iron, and 

 thickened by the addition of a little gum or fugar. This 

 jtompofition, however, is liable to fade ; but fince the dif- 

 covery of the method of totally difcharging the traces of 

 common ink by the application of the oxigenated muriatic 

 acid^ more ferious confeqitences are to be apprehended from 

 the .univcrfil iife of the common atranientous fluid, than the 

 decay of its colour from age ; for it is well known that, 

 wliilc tlie fulphate of iron remains on the paper, the colour 

 of the writing may be rellored by wafliing the MS. with 

 frefh jjifufion of galls. We have fevcral receipts in Nichol- 



I N K 



fon's Philofophical Journal, vol. iv. p. 479, 410., for c*m' 

 pofing ink capable of refiftirg the oxigenated muriatic 

 acid. 



Macqiier, in the Chemical Diftioiiary, gives the follow- 

 ing receipt for making good ink. lu four French pints of 

 ctmimon water or beer, let a pound of bruifed galls be in- 

 fufed twenty-four hours without boiling ; to this add fi.t 

 ounces of gum arabic ; and when the gum is diflblved, fix 

 ounces of green vitriol, which will foon give it the black 

 colour ; the liquor is then to be llrained through a hair- 

 fieve. 



The following method lias been recommended by expe- 

 rience, and is eafily and fpeedily praciifed. To a gallon of 

 boiling water, put fix oimces of blue galls, grofsiy pounded, 

 and three ounces of copperas ; llir the mixture well toge- 

 ther, and then add fix ounces of gum arabic pounded. 

 After ftirring the whole thorouglily, leave it to fettle, and 

 the next day ftrain it off from the dregs for ufe. See Iris 

 littea pahtfiris . 



The following compofition will make a very good black 

 writing ink. Take a gallon of foft water, and boil in it 

 a pound of chips of logwood for about half an hour ; pour 

 the decoiftion boiling hot on a pound of the bell Aleppo 

 galls powdered, and two ounces of pomegranate peels, put 

 into a proper vefiel. After having ilirred them well toge- 

 ther with a wooden fpatula, place them in the funlhine in 

 fummer, or within the warmth of any fire in winter, for 

 tluee or four days, ftirring the mixture occafionally ; then 

 add half a pound of green vitriol powdered, and let the 

 mixture remain four or five days more, occafionally ftir- 

 ring it ; and then add four ounces of gum arabic diffolved 

 in a quart of boiling water ; and after the ink has fettled, 

 ftrain it off through a coarfe linen cloth, and keep it well 

 flopped for ufe. 



Mr. De'aval in his " Treatife on Colours," p. 37. in- 

 forms us, that with an infufion of galls and iron filings, he 

 had not only made an exceedingly black and durable ink, 

 but by means of it, withotit the addition of any acid, dyed 

 Clk and woollen cloth of a good and lading black. But 

 this kind of ink, th.ough the colour is far fuperior to that 

 of any other, may be eafily difcharged, cither by the fmalleil 

 quantity of any acid, or even by fimple water ; becaufe it doth 

 not penetrate the paper in fuch a manner as is necefiary to 

 preferve it from the inftantaneousaftion of the acid or of the 

 water. During the action of the infufion of galls upon the 

 iron in making this kind of iiik, a very confiderable effer- 

 vefcence takes place, and a quantity of air is difcharged, the 

 nature of which has not yet been examined. 



Manyof themore volatile kinds of oil may beufed in writing, 

 if reduced to a proper cor.fiilcncc by the addition of gum or 

 refin. Tolerable ink may be made by diflialving 30 grains ol 

 common refin in 90 grains of oil of turpentine, and tem- 

 periiig the folution with 17^ grains of ianip-black, and i\ of 

 indigo. In a dry ftate, this compofition refills the aftion of 

 water, but not of fpirit. Copal is much iuperior to refin ; 

 it will diffolvc in only few liquid.'!. It may be diflblved, 

 however, in oil of lavender. The only inconvenience at- 

 tending the ufe of copal in the compofition of ink is, that it 

 is foKiblc at a low temperature. Ink may be compofed of 

 oil of lavender, copal, and lamp-b'ack in the manner fol- 

 lowing ; Take oil of lavender zoo grains, copal, in powder, 

 2J graii'.s, and lamp-black from 2^ to 3 grains. With the 

 alfilTance of a gentle heat, diffolve the copal in the oil of 

 lavender in a fmall glafs phial, and then mix the lamp-black 

 with the folution upon a marble flab, or other fmooth fur- 

 face. Put the compofition into the bottle, and keep it from 

 tkc air. After the repofe of fome hours, the ink muft be 

 8 well 



