Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets / Or, A Collection of Above 500 Useful Receipts on a Variety of Subjects

by Daniel Young

46. WHITE INK FOR WRITING ON BLACK PAPER

Having carefully washed some egg shells remove the internal skin and grind them on a piece of porphyry, then put the powder in a small vessel of pure water, and when it has settled at the bottom, draw off the water and dry the powder in the sun. This powder must be preserved in a bottle; when you want to use it put a small quantity of gum ammoniac into distilled vinegar, and leave it to dissolve during the night, next morning the solution will appear exceedingly white, and if you then strain it through a piece of linen cloth, and add to it the powder of egg shells in sufficient quantity, you will obtain a very white ink.