Prom  galls  so  treated  an  ink  may  be  made  to
write  black  at  once.  Care  must,  however,  be
taken  to  avoid  any  loss  of  materials  by
volatilisation.
To  prevent  any  tendency  to  mouldiness  in
ink,  a  few  bruised  cloves,  or  a  little  oil  of


cloves,  or,  still  better,  a  few  ■'-■^•ya  of  creasote
(carbolic  acid)  may.  be  addt  [The  last  two
should  be  previously  dissolved  a  small  quan-
tity of  strong  vinegar,  or  ("eiilified  spirit.
With  the  same  intention  some  of  the  large
makers  allow  the  ink  to  become  covered  with
a  skin  of  '  mould '  in  the  cask,  to  render  it
less  liable  to  undergo  the  same  change  when
subsequently  bottled.  Formerly  the  practice
was  to  add  a  little  spirit  for  the  same  purpose.
Sumach,  logwood,  and  oak-bark  are  fre-
quently substituted  for  galls  in  the  prepara-
tion of  common  ink.  When  such  is  the  case,
only  about  ^  or  ^th  of  their  weight  of
copperas  should  be  employed.  Inks  so  made
possess  little  durability.
The  very  general  use  of  steel  pens  of  late
years  has  caused  a  corresponding  demand  for
easy-flowing  inks,  many  of  which  are  now
vended  under  the  titles  of  weiting-bluibs,

STEBL-PBN  INK,  ANTICOEEOSITE  INK,  &C.
The  greater  number  of  these  are  prepared
from  galls  in  the  preceding  manner;  but  a
less  quantity  of  gum  is  employed,  and  greater
attention  is  paid  than  heretofore  to  avoid  every
source  of  '  greasiness  '  among  which  smoke
and  dirty  utensils  are,  perhaps,  the  principal.
