234 
WRITING INK, 
pear to have consisted principally of galls, sulphate of iron, 
water and gum, in different proportions, to which some persons 
added the bark of mountain ash, or the ripe berries of the 
privet j and others the rinds or peelings of pomegranates ; and 
these last he strongly commends, as contributing very much 
both to the lustre and blackness of the ink ; and I have some- 
times been disposed to adopt this opinion ; but, probably, the 
good effects which I had occasionally observed from this addi- 
tion, may have been manifested only when, from a defect, or 
want of the galls, the proportion of iron would have been too 
great without the pomegranate peels, which, indeed, will alone 
produce a good ink, with sulphate of iron*, 
who gives the The best proportions among those suggested by Caneparius, 
proportions. seem t0 have foe en half a pound ©f sulphate of iron to one 
pound of galls, with quarter of a pound of pomegranate 
rinds, and about as much gum ; but even ink so made, would 
have been more lasting, if not blacker, with a few ounces 
more of galls. He afterwards highly commends the addition 
of a little white sugar to ink. Some persons, he tells us, em- 
ployed wine instead of water, which rendered their ink less 
liable to be spoiled by freezing $ and to obviate this more effec- 
tually, Caneparius proposes an addition of brandy to the ink. 
He observes, at page 1/2, that some ink-makers used the Hack 
liquor of the cuttle fsh, in addition to the other matters 
(.“ Admiscent atrum liquorem sepiae piscis marini,” &c.) 
Ink powder. At page 1 7 7 , Caneparius directs the composition of an ink 
powder, by mixing and grinding together galls, with about 
one-third of their weight of sulphate of iron, and one-fifth of 
gum, and the same quantity of alum, (which last is, I believe, 
now properly omitted in these compositions) and in the follow- 
iron water, ing page he describes an ink for staining linen, &c. which was 
prepared by putting iron filings and powdered galls into the 
strongest vinegar, and placing them over the fire, until so much 
* Having noticed some printed receipts for making ink with pome- 
granate peels and sulphate of copper, instead of iron , I prepared such 
an ink ; but the colour, as 1 had expected, was merely an olive brown, 
not black. 
of 
