Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.  1876. 
A  New  Ink. 
55 
procured,  and  a  solution  made  in  the  proportion  of  six  grains  to  the 
ounce  of  water,  this  ratio  seeming  the  most  successful  after  several 
trials.  Cold  water  dissolves  it  readily,  the  solution  being  ready  for  use 
in  a  minute  or  two.  The  resulting  fluid  resembles  very  closely  that 
produced  in  the  Encrier  Magique,  being,  perhaps,  a  little  less  intense 
in  color  ;  in  their  other  properties  the  two  seem  to  be  identical.  At 
the  retail  price  of  the  black,  the  ink  would  cost  about  25  or  30  cents 
a  pint.  It  is  bleached  by  chlorine,  but  is  unaffected  by  nitric,  hydro- 
chloric or  sulphuric  acids  (the  dilute  acids  of  the  U.  S.  P.  were  used 
in  the  trial),  and  is  but  slightly  blurred  by  soaking  in  water.  Con- 
trary to  expectation,  it  is  found  to  be  unaffected  by  alcohol,  which  is 
said  to  remove  the  ordinary  colored  anilin  inks  from  the  paper  readily 
and  entirely.  Writing,  executed  with  this  ink,  has  been  soaked  in 
alcohol  four  days  without  appreciable  change.  These  somewhat  unex- 
pected results  encourage  the  hope  that  it  may  prove  less  liable  to  fade, 
by  exposure,  than  other  inks  of  a  similar  nature  ;  but  further  trials, 
during  much  longer  time,  will  be  necessary  to  determine  this  point. 
The  only  absolutely  permanent  inks  yet  made,  aside  from  the  use  of 
acids  to  carbonize  the  paper,  seem  to  be  those  made  of  lamp-black,  or 
some  other  form  of  carbon,  India  ink  being  the  type  of  the  class. 
These  are  valuable  for  records  that  are  to  be  kept  for  centuries,  but 
are  undesirable  for  common  use,  because  they  are  more  or  less  thick, 
do  not  flow  readily  and  clog  up  the  pen  with  insoluble  matter.  For 
ordinary  purposes,  this  nigrosine  ink  can  be  recommended  as  combin- 
ing, perhaps,  more  advantages  than  any  other  yet  tried.  It  is  not 
expensive,  is  very  conveniently  made  from  portable  materials,  has  a 
good  deep  color,  flows  beautifully,  does  not  corrode  steel  pens  and  is 
not  injured  by  freezing.  Unless  some  unforeseen  objection  should  be 
developed  by  further  trial,  it  will  win  the  favor  of  all  who  use  it. 
The  experience  of  the  many  who,  like  the  writer,  have  been  first 
delighted  and  afterwards  disgusted  with  the  logwood  and  chromate  of 
potassium  ink  of  Prof.  Runge,  warns  us  not  to  be  too  sanguine  in 
our  expectations,  but  this  nigrosine  is  certainly  well  worth  a  trial. 
One  word  of  caution,  there  are  many  things  called  anilin  black, 
and  many  of  them  are  worthless  ;  the  kind  recommended  is  called 
nigrosine. 
Elmira,  N.  V.,  December,  1875. 
Note  by  the  Editor. — The  ink  recommended  in  the  above 
