maintaining　a　State　standard　for　record　ink；　which
  they　have　approved。
  〃The　commendation　by　the　chemists　of　some　of
  the　so…called　writing　fluids　explains　in　a　degree　the
  variety　of　opinions　advanced　by　the　manufacturers
  in　regard　to　the　durability　of　fluids。　Some　of
  them　will　be　seen　to　possess　the　qualities　of　ink；
  and　the　name　fluid　is　evidently　given　to　meet　the
  commercial　demand　for　fluids。
  〃Several　persons；　manufacturers　among　them；
  expressed　greater　confidence　in　tests　of　exposure
  of　inks　to　the　light　and　weather　than　to　chemical
  analysis。　I；　therefore；　as　a　dry　test；　placed　on　the
  inside　of　a　window　pane　receiving　a　strong　light；
  writing　made　under　exactly　the　same　conditions
  with　each　of　sixty…seven　inks；　which　remained
  there　from　March　13　to　December　8。　Similar
  writing　was　exposed　to　light　and　the　weather　from
  September　25　to　December　8；　and　the　result　of　the
  resistance　of　the　inks　in　both　tests　is　an　almost　exact
  confirmation　of　the　report　of　the　chemists；
  inks　of　the　same　class　varying　in　their　resistance
  according　to　their　specific　gravity　or　amount　of
  added　color。
  〃It　may　be　safely　said；　therefore；　that　of　sixty…
  seven　inks　of　which　I　procured　samples；　all　but
  seventeen　are　unsuitable　for　records；　and　among
  these　the　chemists　say　but　one　is　fully　up　to　the
  established　scientific　standard　of　quantity　of　iron
  sulphate。　The　reason　is　plain；the　demand　for
  commercial　inks　is　large；　for　record；　small；　and　the
  supply　has　been　to　meet　the　demand。〃
  The　British　government　advertises　for　tenders　each
  year；　the　requirements　for　black　writing　ink　in　1889
  reads：
  〃To　be　made　of　Best　Galls；　Sulphate　of　Iron；
  and　Gum。　The　Sulphate　of　Iron　not　to　exceed　in
  quantity　one…third　of　the　weight　of　the　Galls　used；
  and　the　specific　gravity　of　the　matured　Ink　not　to
  exceed　1045　degrees　（distilled　water　being　1000　degrees）。〃
  That　of　Black　Copying　Ink　〃To　be　made　of　the　above
  materials；　but　of　a　strength　one　fourth　greater
  than　the　Writing　Ink；　and　with　the　addition　of
  Sugar　or　Glycerine。　The　specific　gravity　of　the
  matured　Ink　not。　to　exceed　1085　degrees。〃　And　that　of
  Blue…Black　Writing　Ink　〃To　be　made　of　finest
  Galls；　Sulphate　of　Iron；　Gum；　Indigo；　and　Sulphuric
  Acid。　The　specific　gravity　of　the　Ink　when
  matured　not　to　exceed　1035　degrees。〃
  Mr。　Swan　again　remarks　in　his　report　of　1892：
  〃Many　of　the　inks　which　should　not　be　used
  upon　records　are　free　flowing　and　more　agreeable
  to　use　than　permanent　inks；　containing　more　body。
  As　long　as　recording　and　copying　is　paid　for　by
  the　page；　and　the　object　is　to　accomplish　the　most
  in　the　least　time；　these　inks　will　be　in　popular　use；
  and　used；　and　blotted　off　the　paper　before　they
  have　much　more　than　colored　it；　only　to　disappear
  eventually。　The　State　should　set　a　standard　for　a
  record　ink；　and；　while　our　present　system　of　keeping
  records　and　furnishing　supplies　will　not　allow
  that　its　use　be　required　on　all　public　records；　as　in
  England；　it　would　seem　practicable　for　the　secretary
  of　the　Commonwealth　to　advertise　for　proposals
  for　inks　of　a　certain　standard；　which　the
  manufacturers　should　be　bound　to　maintain；　and
  that　these　should　be　used　in　all　the　State　offices。
  With　a　State　standard　ink　adopted；　its　use　by
  recording　officers　would　soon　follow。〃
  In　1894　Mr。　Swan's　indefatigable　efforts　were
  crowned　with　success；　the　state　of　Massachusetts
  adopting　his　recommendations　included　in　the　following
  act：
  〃SECTION　1。　No　person　having　the　care　or　custody
  of　any　book　of　record　or　registry　in　any　of
  the　departments　or　offices　of　the　Commonwealth
  shall　use　or　allow　to　be　used　upon　such　books　any
  ink　excepting　such　as　is　furnished　by　the　secretary
  of　the　Commonwealth。
  〃SECTION　2。　The　secretary　of　the　Commonwealth
  shall　from　time　to　time　advertise　for　proposals
  to　furnish　the　several　departments　and　offices
  of　the　Commonwealth　in　which　books　of　record　or
  registry　are　kept　with　ink　of　a　standard　and　upon
  conditions　to　be　established　by　the　secretary　at
  such　periods　and　in　such　quantities　as　may　be　required；
  and　may　contract　for　the　same。
  〃SECTION　3。　The　ink　so　furnished　shall　be　examined
  from　time　to　time　by　a　chemist　to　be
  designated　by　the　secretary　of　the　Commonwealth；
  and　if　at　any　time　said　ink　shall　be　found　to　be
  inferior　to　the　established　standard　the　secretary
  shall　have　authority　to　cancel　any　contract　made
  for　furnishing　said　ink；　and　the　quantity　so　found
  inferior　shall　not　be　paid　for。〃
  Professor　Markoe；　referred　to　before；　was　appointed
  〃chemist〃　by　the　Secretary　of　the　Commonwealth
  and　prepared　what　he　considered　the　best　formula；　for
  a　standard　ink；　which　was　competed　for　by　a　number
  of　ink　manufacturers　after　proper　advertisement；　and
  a　contract　awarded。　Mr。　Swan　says　that　this　departure
  was　received　with　favor　by　recording　officers。
  No　change　was　made　in　the　formula　until　after　the
  death　of　Professor　Markoe　in　1900；　when　Dr。　Bennett
  F。　Davenport　of　Boston　was　selected　as　his　successor。
  He　submitted　a　modified　formula　to　be　employed　in
  the　manufacture　of　an　official　or　standard　ink。　It
  was　adopted　and　such　an　ink　is　without　exception　now
  used　by　all　recording　officers　of　both　Massachusetts
  and　Connecticut。
  In　1901　the　United　States　treasury　department
  adopted　a　similar　ink　except　that　it　permitted　the
  introduction　into　it　of　an　unnamed　blue　coloring
  material。
  Early　in　1894　and　during　the　legislative　session　of
  the　state　of　New　York；　after　consultation　with　General
  Palmer；　the　then　secretary　of　state；　I　prepared　a
  bill　somewhat　on　the　lines　as　laid　down　in　the　Massachusetts
  statute。　The　press　all　over　the　state　at　once
  took　up　the　matter　and　urged　that　some　such　measure
  should　be　enacted　into　law。　A　New　York　City　newspaper
  discussed　it　as　follows：
  〃A　bill　is　to　be　introduced　in　the　legislature
  this　week；　probably　to…morrow　night；　providing　for
  an　official　ink　to　be　used　by　every　public　officer
  throughout　the　State　of　New　York　in　the　writing
  of　public　documents　and　in　making　entries　in　the　records。
  〃The　official　ink　is　for　the　purpose　of　making
  public　records　permanent　and　to　guard　against
  fraud　by　the　alteration　of　the　records。　As　the
  law　stands　at　the　present　time　in　the　state　every
  official；　whether　municipal；　county　or　state；　is
  allowed　to　purchase　and　use　for　the　records　of　his
  office　whatever　ink　he　may　choose。　The　consequence
  is　that　there　is　no　uniformity　in　public
  records　throughout　the　state；　and　entries；　transcripts
  and　certificates　are　written　with　hundreds
  of　various　kinds　of　inks。
  〃The　serious　part　of　the　business；　however；　is
  the　evanescent　character　of　some　of　the　kinds　now
  used；　especially　of　the　cheaper　grades。　These　are
  the　inks　made　from　aniline　and　other　dyes　which
  are　held　in　solution　in　water。　Such　inks　are　made
  from　a　fine；　cheap　powder；　of　which　nigrosine　is
  used　in　making　black　inks；　eosine　for　red；　and
  methylene　for　blue　ink；　and　they　cost　only　a　few
  dimes　a　gallon　to　manufacture。　The　writing　made
  with　such　inks　quickly　dries　by　the　evaporation　of
  the　water；　when　it　merely　requires　the　application
  of　a　little　soap　and　water　to　wash　them　out；　leaving
  the　paper　absolutely　clean；　besides　being　fugitive。
  〃It　is　said　that　as　a　result　of　the　present　lack
  of　system　in　this　matter　there　are　now　public　records
  of　the　city　of　New　York　in　which　the　ink　has
  entirely　faded。　These　records　have　been　made
  within　the　past　forty　years；　and　are　now　worthless
  because　of　the　character　of　the　inks　originally　used。
  〃In　the　Police　department　of　this　city　a　blue
  ink　is　often　used　which　is　made　from　prussian
  blue。　A　large　portion　of　the　entries　in　the　books
  of　the　Police　department　are　made　with　ink　of　this
  kind；　and　the　warrants　and　other　public　documents
  with　which　the　police　have　to　do　are　similarly　written。
  〃A　little　soap　and　water　will　wipe　out　this　writing；
  so　that　the　record　can　be　easily　altered　at　any
  time。　The　use　of　this　ink　in　the　Police　department
  is　said　to　date　from　the　time　of　Tweed；　which
  is　significant　of　the　original　purpose　for　which　it。
  was　adopted。
  〃A　permanent　writing　fluid　such　as　it　is　now
  proposed　to　adopt　throughout　the　state　would　not
  only　secure　uniformity　in　the　character　of　the　inks
  used；　but　it　would　also　throw　many　obstacles　in
  the　way　of　altering　the　records。
  〃The　present　Secretary　of　State　is　heartily　in
  accord　with　the　proposed　legislation。　He　was
  seen　last　week　by　Mr。　David　N。　Carvalho；　who
  has　made　a　life　study　of　the　subject　and　who　drew
  the　bill　and　is　pushing　the　reform。
  〃Mr。　Carvalho　said　yesterday：　'This　ink；　whose
  use　it　is　intended　to　secure　in　the　making　of　public
  records　in　this　state；　is　more　costly　than　those
  made　from　aniline　and　other　dyes；　which　fade　and
  wash。　In　it　the　black　particles　are　suspended　in
  water　by　the　addit