54 
A  New  Ink. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb. 1876. 
found  with  their  inner  surface  coated  with  wood  and  the  outer  one 
well  protected  by  inert,  dead  corky  matter. 
Our  profession  is,  as  a  general  thing,  our  source  of  financial  income, 
and  here,  again,  comes  the  importance  of  garbling  drugs.  You  ask, 
What  does  Mrs.  A.  know  about  dirty  and  sophisticated  drugs,  when 
they  are  dispensed  to  her  in  a  handsomely-prepared  prescription  ?  I 
answer,  Not  anything  ;  but  it  is  not  alone  from  the  mysterious  liquids 
that  trickle  from  our  retorts,  or  the  brilliant  crystals  that  are  born  in 
our  evaporating  dishes,  by  which  we  are  to  be  judged.  There  is,  at 
the  present  day,  and  we  may  be  proud  of  the  fact,  a  spirit  of  rivalry 
among  pharmacists  as  to  who  shall  send  out  the  most  elegant  prepara- 
tions ;  but  sparkling  tinctures,  inviting  elixirs  and  palatial  soda-fountains 
will  not  blind  the  eye  of  our  censurious,  invalid  customer  to  the  dirt 
existing  in  a  package  of  gum  arabic  which  has  been  purchased  as  a 
selected  article.  Cachets  de  pain  and  electro-plated  dragees  will  not 
hide  the  sand,  shells  and  star-fish  that  lurk  in  Irish  moss  any  more 
than  a  bottle  of  palatable  cod-liver  oil  will  enhance  the  flavor  of  a 
porridge  made  from  animated  oat-meal. 
A  NEW  INK. 
BY  M.  S.  BIDWELL. 
The  French  inkstand,  sold  under  the  name  of  Encrier  Magique, 
also  called  perpetual  inkstand,  in  its  most  approved  form,  consists  of  a 
shallow  japanned  metal  tray,  about  five  inches  in  diameter,  on  which 
is  fastened  a  receptacle  of  a  flattened  globular  form,  about  i\  inches 
in  diameter  and  \\  inches  high.  On  the  top  is  an  opening  closed  by  a 
screw  cap,  and  communicating  with  a  cavity  about  the  size  of  a  large 
thimble.  To  use  it,  a  little  water  is  poured  into  this  cavity  and  the 
ink  is  at  once  ready  for  use  ;  it  is  nearly  jet  black,  with  a  slight  purplish 
tinge,  flows  beautifully  from  the  pen  and  is  said  not  to  be  injured  by 
freezing.  When  the  ink  is  exhausted,  or  if  it  becomes  too  thick,  it  is 
renewed  by  adding  a  few  drops  of  water.  The  excellent  quality  of 
this  ink,  and  the  extreme  convenience  of  its  preparation,  make  it  very 
desirable  ;  but  the  inkstands  are  brought  from  Europe  and  are  quite 
expensive,  so  that  some  more  economical  substitute  seemed  desirable. 
The  rapidity  of  solution  and  the  fluidity  of  the  ink  naturally  suggested 
an  anilin  compound  as  the  probable  coloring  agent.  Acting  upon  this 
suggestion,  some  of  the  best  anilin  black  (trade  name,  Nigrosine),  was 
