infectores ex flore nigro, qui adhaerescit aheneis cortinis. Fit et e tedis ligno combusto, tritisque in mortario carbonibus. Mira in hoc sepiarum natura: sed ex his non fit. Omne autem atramentum sole perficitur, librarium gummi, tectorum glutino admixto. Quod autem aceto liquefactum est, aegre eluitur.
(translation.)
"Ink (or literally) Blacking.—Ink also may be set down among the artificial (or compound) drugs, although it is a mineral derived from two sources. For, it is sometimes developed in the form of a saline efflorescence,—or is a real mineral of sulphureous color—chosen for this purpose. There have been painters who dug up from graves colored coals (carbon). But all these are useless and new-fangled notions. For it is made from soot in various forms, as (for instance) of burnt rosin or pitch. For this purpose, they have built manufactories not emitting that smoke. The ink of the very best quality is made from the smoke of torches. An inferior article is made from the soot of furnaces and bath-house chimneys. There are some (manufacturers) also, who employ the dried lees of wine; and they do say that if the lees so employed were from good wine, the quality of the ink is thereby much improved. Polygnotus and Micon, celebrated painters at Athens, made their black paint from burnt grape-vines; they gave it the
