Prep. 1. Aleppo galls (well bruised), 4 oz.; clean soft water, 1 quart; macerate in a clean corked bottle for 10 days or a fortnight, or even longer, with frequent agitation, then add of gum Arabic (dissolved in a wine-glassful of water), 11⁄4 oz.; lump sugar, 1⁄2 oz.; mix well, and afterwards further add of sulphate of iron (green copperas, crushed small), 11⁄2 oz.; agitate occasionally for 2 or 3 days, when the ink may be decanted for use, but is better if the whole is left to digest together for 2 or 3 weeks. When time is an object, the whole of the ingredients may at once be put into a bottle, and the latter agitated daily until the ink is made; and boiling water instead of cold water may be employed. Product. 1 quart of excellent ink, writing pale at first, but soon turning intensely black.
2. Aleppo galls (bruised), 12 lbs.; soft water, 6 galls.; boil in a copper vessel for 1 hour, adding more water to make up for the portion lost by evaporation; strain, and again boil the galls with water, 4 galls.; for 1⁄2 an hour; strain off the liquor, and boil a third time with water, 21⁄2 galls., and strain; mix the several liquors, and while still hot, add of green copperas (coarsely powdered), 41⁄2 lbs.; gum arabic (bruised small), 4 lbs.; agitate until dissolved, and after defecation strain through a hair sieve, and keep it in a bunged-up cask for use. Product. 12 galls.; very fine and durable.
3. Aleppo galls (bruised), 14 lbs.; gum, 5 lbs; put them in a small cask, and add of boiling soft water, 15 galls.; allow the whole to macerate, with frequent agitation, for a fortnight, then further add of green copperas, 5 lbs., (dissolved in) water, 7 pints; again mix well, and agitate the whole once daily for 2 or 3 weeks. Prod. Fully 15 galls. Resembles No. 1.
4. Galls (bruised), 9 lbs.; logwood chips (best Campeachy), 3 lbs.; boil as in No. 2; to the strained mixed liquors, add of gum arabic and green copperas, of each (bruised small), 4 lbs.; simmer or digest until dissolved, and at once strain through a hair sieve into the store-cask or jars. Prod. 161⁄2 galls. Excellent, but inferior to the preceding.
5. Galls (bruised), 2 lbs.; logwood chips, green copperas, and gum, of each 1 lb.; water, 7 galls.; boil 2 hours, and strain. Prod. 5 galls. A superior ink for retail.
6. Galls (bruised), 1 lb.; logwood, 2 lbs.; gum (common), 1 lb.; green copperas, 3⁄4 lb.; water, 8 galls.; proceed as last. Prod. 6 galls. Common, but fit for all ordinary purposes.
The following formulæ are for some of the advertised inks, or are those recommended by the authorities whose names are attached to them:—
7. (Anti-corrosive.) Same as ‘Asiatic ink.’
8. (Asiatic.) Galls, 4 lbs.; logwood, 2 lbs.; pomegranate peel, 2 lb.; soft water, 5 galls; boil as in No. 2, then add to the strained and decanted liquor, when cold, of gum Arabic, 1 lb.; lump sugar or sugar candy, 1⁄4 lb.; dissolved in water, 3 pints. Product. 41⁄2 galls. Writes pale, but flows well from the pen, and soon gets black.
9. (Brande.) Galls, 6 oz.; green copperas and gum Arabic, of each 4 oz.; soft water, 3 quarts; by decoction.