Vaatturiteknikkojen Kerholla huomattava esitelmätilaisuus.

Vaatturi 2, 1925

Vaatturiteknikkojen kerhon istunnossa v. k. 25 p., joka pidettiin J. Rissasen liike- & asuntohuoneustossa, piti Prof. Laitinen pyynnöstä esitelmän värien vaikutuksesta terveyteen ja lämmön pitäväisyyteen sekä kankaan värien sopusoinnusta ihonväriin. Esitelmän pääkohdista mainittakoon seuraavaa:

Aluksi viittasi Prof. Laitinen värien syntyyn ja valmistukseen teollisuutena ja kuinka muutamat, eläinkunnasta saadut väriaineet sisältävät myrkkyä. Esim. muutamissa huoneentapeteissa löytyy arsenikkia, joskus niinkin vahvasti, että silloin kun tapetteja kasautuu seiniin useita päällekkäin voivat ne olla terveydelle vaarallisia; ja tällaisten sairauksien aiheuttajaa on monasti vaikea lääkärinkään huomata.

Siirryttyään varsinaiseen aikomaansa aineeseen mainitsi puhuja, että meidän kylmässä ilmanalassamme on väreillä suuri merkitys terveyteemme. Esim. vaalea tai aivan valkoinen vaate eksponeeraa auringon lämmön pois luotaan tai, kuten tavallisesti sanotaan, ei pidä lämpöä läheskään niin paljon kuin musta. Sen vuoksi kylminä vuodenaikoina ei ole vaalea puku yhtä lämmin kuin musta. Vaalea sopiikin pidettäväksi ainoastaan lämpiminä vuoden aikoina ja lämpimissä maissa. Mustalla tai tummalla värillä on taas päinvastainen ominaisuus kun vaalealla. Se inponeeraa auringonlämpöä itseensä ja on siten paljon lämpimämpi kuin vaalea, käytettäväksi kylmällä säällä. Eri värien suhteesta toisiinsa, mainitsi esitelmöitsiä, seuraavaa, jonka sanoi olevan tieteellisesti todistetun. Jos otetaan valkoisen suhdeluvuksi 100 on silloin siihen verrattava esim. vaalean keltaisen suhdeluku 102, tummankeltaisen 140, tumman punaisen 165 ja sinisen 199, mutta mustan 208. Näin suurilla eroituksilla toisiinsa verraten, mainitsi puhuja, säilyttävät eriväriset kankaat lämpöä ihmisruumiissa. Senpä vuoksi laihoille ja vähäverisille ihmisille onkin edullisempi käyttää kylmällä ajalla mustia pukimia, kuin sitä vastoin lihaville henkilöille joilla on paksu rasvakerrostuma ruumiinympäri, sopii käyttää vaaleita pukimia kylmälläkin kärsimättä vilustumista. Sitä paitse, mainitsi puhuja, ovat väljät vaatteet lämpöisemmät kuin ruumiissa kiinni istuvat. Väljän vaatteen ja ruumiin väliin muodostuu tällöin ilmakerros ja se kun lämpenee pitää se ruumiin lämpimänä. Esim. turkissa jossa on pitkä karva muodostuu karvain sisään lämmin ilmakerros ja sen vuoksi se pitää ruumiin hyvin lämpimänä.

Mitä värien esteettiseen vaikutukseen tulee, mainitsi Professori, musta ja tumman sininen väri sopii muutenkin hyvin hoikille ja varsinkin lyhytvartaloisille, sillä näissä väreissä vartalo näyttää pitemmältä. Henkilöille joilla on ruskea tukan ja ihon väri sopii erityisen hyvin vaalea puku. Sitävastoin vaaleaverinen vaaleassa puvussa näyttää laihalta ja kalpealta j. n. e.

Tämä värien valinta eri ihonväreihin ja samoin mallinkin valinta erimuotoisiin vartaloihin on kyllä tärkeä tehtävä vaatturin ammatissa niille henkilöille jotka ovat ottamassa juuri tilauksia vastaan. Tähän valintataitoon tulisi syventyä. Tässä suhteessa onkin vaatturiammatti käsityön ja taiteen väliasteella. Ulkomailla ensiluokan vaatturiliikkeissä näytään tässä muoto- ja väriaistisuhteessa oltavan hyvin tarkkoja, joista hän kertoi kokemuksiaan. Esim. Wienissä kun hän meni pukua tilaamaan, esitettiin hänelle kohta minkälainen puku hänelle sopii ja muunlaista he liikkeen maineen vuoksi eivät rupea tekemäänkään. Hän sanoi heidän esityksensä mukaan tilanneensa puvun ja sanoi perästäpäin tulleensa huomaamaan että se sopi hänelle kaikissa suhteissa erinomaisesti. Samanlaiseen kokemukseen mainitsi puhuja tulleensa myöskin Lontoossa pukutilauksissaan.

Lopuksi lausui prof. Laitinen että hänen mielestään olisi vaattureilla syytä koettaa saada kansallispukuja käytäntöön miehillekin kuten naiset niitä käyttää.

Puheenjohtajan lausuttua Kerhon puolesta hartaimmat kiitoksensa esitelmöitsijälle, ryhdyttiin esitelmän johdosta keskustelemaan. Kaikki puhujat lausuivat ihastuksensa tästä harvinaisesta ja sisältörikkaasta esitelmästä sekä toivottiin että vastaisuudessakin tulisi hankkia saman suuntaisia esitelmiä kerhon istuntoihin. Itse illan kysymyksestä lausuttiin myös ajatuksia mutta niitä ei tila riitä tässä lähemmin selostaa. - Vuosikokous ja juhla päätettiin pitää t.k. 14 p.

Muutamia "sattumia" luonnontutkimuksen historiassa.

Uusi Suomi 109, 11.5.1924

Alansa täydellinen hallitseminen, kulloinkin tulkittavana olevan ainehiston perinpohjainen tunteminen ovat kaiken jatkuvan, tuloksellisen tieteellisen työn perustavia edellytyksiä. Luonnontieteilijän on sitkeästi ja päämäärästään tietoisesti ponnisteltava ennakolta asettamaansa ongelmaratkaisua kohden. Silloin tällöin kuitenkin tapahtuu, että tutkija kokeellisesti työskennellessään havaitsee seikkoja, jotka avaavat hänelle aivan uuden, ennakolta arvaamattoman tutkimuspiirin, mikä ehkä on paljon arvokkaampi kuin alkuperäinen. Toisinaan suoranaiset erehdykset ja vahingot ovat johtaneet merkittäviin keksintöihin ja pysyviin tieteellisiin tuloksiin.

Kertomus niistä teistä, jotka ovat vieneet mainitunlaisiin odottamattomiin tuloksiin, on sangen mielenkiintoinen, jopa osin romanttinenkin, ja muutamat esimerkit lienevät omiaan herättämään suurenkin yleisön mielenkiintoa.

Hapen, meitä ympäröivän ilman toisen pääkaasun olemassaolo keksittiin aivan sattumoisin noin puolitoista vuosisataa takaperin. Priestley - keksijä - oli, niin kerrotaan, erinomaisen ylpeä suuresta polttolasista, jonka hän oli saanut hankituksi itselleen; eräänä päivänä hän kuljeskeli laboratoriossaan kohdistaen polttolasilla aiheuttamansa kuumuuden varsin erilaisiin aineisiin, häitten joukossa sattui olemaan elohopean happiyhdistys, elohopeaoksidi, mikä, kuten nykyään tiedämme, jakaantuu kuumennettaessa erittäin helposti yhdysosiinsa, elohopeaksi ja hapeksi.

Priestley havaitsi kaasua poistuvan elohopeaoksiidista. Hän keräsi tätä hiukan ja saattoi todeta sen aivan ihmeteltävän vilkkaasti ylläpitävän palamista. Priestleylla tämä oli uutta ja kiehtovaa; hän sanoi itse: "Tämä hämmästytti minua enemmän kuin voin selittää; en tosiaankaan tiennyt, kuinka tämä voitiin selittää." Jatkuvilla kokeilla hän totesi "kaasun omaavan kaikki tavallisen ilman ominaisuudet, vain paljon täydellisempinä". Itse asiassa hän oli näin keksinyt hapen uuden polttoainelasinsa herättämän uteliaisuuden vaikutuksesta.

Tutkijan ajatusten työskennellessä määrätyn ongelman ratkaisemiseksi on ihmeellistä havaita, kuinka pienimmätkin huomiot hänen mielestään saattavat tuottaa hyötyä.

Näin kävi Nobelin keksiessä räjähdysgelatiinin. Nitroglyseriini on tavattoman voimakas räjähdysaine, eikä sitä voida vaaratta kuljettaa ja käsitellä. Mutta jos nitroglyseriini, joka on tahmeata nestetä, imeytetään piihiekkaan, niin sen käsittelyvaarallisuus katoaa; tätä tuotetta nimitetään dynamiitiksi. Dynamiitin räjähdysvoima on kuitenkin pienempi kuin nitroglyseriinin, mistä syystä Nobel halusi keksiä aineen, mihin sekotettuna nitroglyseriiniä voitaisiin vaaratta kuljettaa, multa joka ei silti vähentäisi nitroglyseriinin voimaa vaan ollen itse vielä räjähtävä sitä vielä lisäisikin.

Nobel keksi halutun aineen aivan sattumalta. Eräänä päivänä hän sai haavan sormeensa ja kaatoi sen päälle hiukan kollodiumia muodostaakseen suojaavan kalvon. Kollodium on alkoholin ja eetterin seokseen liuotettua pumpuliruudin kaltaista aineita; koska näin nesteet ovat helposti haihtuvia, kuivuu kollodiumisively nopeasti ilmassa ja synnyttää kalvon.

Käytettyään hiukan kollodiumia haavan tukkeeksi pälkähti Nobelin päähän kaataa loput nitroglyseriinia sisältävään astiaan. Hän teki niin ja havaitsi kollodiumin sekoittuvan nitroglyseriiniin, jolloin muodostui hyytelömäistä massaa. Tämä pieni huomio riitti osoittamaan hänelle tien harkitsemansa pulman ratkaisemiseksi. Koe uudistettiin suuressa mittakaavassa ja siitä oli seurauksena räjähdys-selaatiinin nimisen tuotteen teollinen valmistus, tuotteen joka sisältää yhdeksän osaa nitroglyseriiniä ja yhden osan liukoista pumpuliruutia.

On myöskin sattunut, että kokeilukojeen rikkoutuminen, siis todellinen vahinko, on edistänyt vaikeitten pulmien selvittämistä. Niinpä esimerkiksi kerran koeteltaessa parantaa keinotekoisen indigon valmistamismenetelmiä tuli onnettomuus avuksi. Tärkeimpiä kohtia tässä mene- Inäkeljussaon naftaliinin - keinotekoisen sen indigon pääasiallisimman raaka-aineen - muuttaminen n.s. ftalihapoksi. Tämä aikaansaadaan, vaikkakin hitaasti, annettaessa kuuman rikkihapon vaikuttaa naftaliiniin. Eräässä juuri tätä seikkaa tarkoittavassa kokeessa lämpömittari sattumalta rikoontui ja sen sisältämä elohopea valui kuumaan seokseen. Huomattiin heti, että naftaliini muuttuu ftalihapoksi huomattavasti nopeammin elohopean läsnäollessa, ja tämä satunnainen huomio johti välittömästi prosessin tämän osan halutunlaiseen parantamiseen.

Kerran eritän rohdoskauppa-apulaisen huolimattomuus aiheutti kuumetta alentavan lääkkeen keksimiseen. Kaksi nuorta lääketieteen ylioppilasta, Kalm ja Hepp, tutki naftaliinin fysiologisia ominaisuuksia. Tällöin he havaitsivat käytetyn aineen alentavan ruumiin lämpötilaa. Myöhemmät kokeet naftaliinilla epäonnistuivat kuitenkin tässä suhteessa. Kun asiasta otettiin lähempi selko, kävi selville, että ylioppilaat olivatkin ensimäisellä kerralla saaneet rohdoskaupasta naftaliinin asemasta asetanilidin nimistä ainetta. Tätä uutta lääkeainetta nimitetään antifebriiniksl ja siitä on edelleen onnistuttu valmistamaan toinen, vieläkin parempi kuumelääke, jonka nimi on fenasetiini.

Tällaisia "sattumia" voitaisiin mainita vielä lukuisia muitakin, mutta nämäkin jo liittänevät esimerkeiksi "sattumien" arvosta.

Huomattakoon kuitenkin, että tällaislen "sattumien" hyväksikäyttäminen yleensä edellyttää tutkijan kouliintunutta silmää ja tarkkaa huomiokykyä, joten tällä lavoin "sattumalta" kuuluisiksi tulleet tiedemiehet ansaitsevat kuuluisuutensa yhtä hyvin kuin muutkin.

Esimerkkinä siitä, kuinka helposti tällaiset "satunnaiset" keksinnöt välttävät lievänkin tiedemiehen huomion, mainittakoon seuraava tapaus kuuluisan Liebigin tulkijatoiminnasla. Eräässä kokeessa hän sai nestettä, joka oli monessa suhteessa jodikloridin kaltainen, mutta toisissa suhteissa kuitenkin täydellisesti erosi tästä. Hän hiukan hämmästeli näitä eroavaisuuksia, mutta ei ryhtynyt niitä kokeellisesti tutkimaan, vaan tyytyi vain mielessään jollain tavoin asian selittämään ja kiinnitti nesteitä sisältävän pullon nimilapuksi: jodikloridia. Lukija voinee kuvitella Liebigin mielipahan ja surun kun hän muutamia kuukausia myöhemmin kuuli erään ranskalaisen keksineen uuden alkuaineen, bromin, ja sitten havaitsi, että juuri sitä alkuainetta hän olikin jodikloridin nimellä nämä kuukaudet pullossaan säilyttänyt. Liebig kertoo itse tämän jutun ja esittää sen erikoisesti varoitukseksi muille tutkijoille, jotteivät he liiaksi luottaisi kulloinkin keksimiinsä selityksiin ja siten syrjäyttäisi koetta sille kuuluvalta asemaltaan.

Toisia siis onni ja "sattumat" suosivat, toisia ei. Multa olkoonpa onni kuinka oikukas hyvänsä, niin varmaa kuitenkin on, että etevän tutkijan tunnollinen uurastus joka tapauksessa ennemmin taikka myöhemmin johtaa tuloksiin ja menestykseen.

- Olli A. Vuorinen.

(Mainos) Frans J. Holmgren'in Värikauppa

Uusi Suometar 121, 29.5.1883

Keisarinnan puwut.

Uusi Suometar 121, 29.5.1883

Naislukijoitamme huwittanee saada joitakuita tietoja niistä puwuista, joita keisarinna kruunauksen aikana tapahtumissa eri juhlallisuuksissa on käyttänyt ja käyttää. Moskowaan tullessa oli Majestetin hame olenkarwaista kiinalaisharsoa, jota reunusti walkoiset pitsit ja granatin-wärinen wyö; siihen sopiwa mantilja ja olkihattu ruusuilla ja granatinwärisillä sametti-nauhoilla koristettu. — Puku, jossa keisarinna ottaa lähetyskuntia wastaan, on wenäläistä kuosia, walkoisesta atlaksesta kultakirjauksilla ja riwillä priljantti-nappeja. Siihen kuuluma howi-laahuri on 6 arsinaa pitkä ja ruusunwaaleasta sametista hopeakirjauksilla. — Paali-puku aatelin tanssihuweja warten on etupuolelta walkoista harsoa, johon on ruusuja ja narsisseja siroiteltu; laahuri on walkoista atlasta hopeasta kudotuilla narsisseilla. — Paali-puku kaupungin tanssihuweja warten on oljenkarwaista harsoa ja atlasta; harsokaistaleisin on hopeisia tähkäpäitä neulottu. Viisi kiehkuraa hopeatähkiä ja ketokukkia koristaa rintaosaa. — Juhlanäytäntöä warten teaterissa on walmistettu teeruusun wärinen laahuri-hame Ludwig XVI:n mallia. Silkkikankaasen on puristamalla painettu suuria kukkawihkoja. Etukappale on ruusunwäristä harsoa ja atlasta; koristuksina on sulkia ja helmi-rypäleitä. — Kansanjuhlaan tulee keisarinna Watteaun-kuosisessa puwussa wihriästä harsosta batisti-kirjauksilla ja Valenciennes'in pitseillä. Leweä wyö ja laahuri ruusunwärisestä moareesta ja ruusunwärinen samettihattu täydentää tuon soman puwun.

(Mainos.) Mustakangas-kauppa

Uusi Aura 215, 19.9.1915

Syksyn muotiväreistä.

Uusi Aura 215, 19.9.1915

Loistawat wärit - teräwän wihreä esimerkiksi, riikinkukon sini, oranssi ja merensini - jotka pari muotia sitten oliwat niin muodikkaita owat tänä wuonna kokonaan unohdetut. Tänä wuonna owat muodissa ainoastaan pastelliwärit, kalpeita, hillittyjä wärejä, joiden yllä lepää pehmeä warjo. Lyonissa kudotaan ainoastaan pastelliwärisiä silkkikankaita, joihin kalpea, utuinen wiwahdus saadaan käyttämällä loimeksi kaikkiin kankaisiin hywin waaleansinistä, lukuunottamatta sinisiä silkkikankaita, joihin loimeksi käytetään hywin waaleanpunaista. Wieläpä garibaldi-punainenkin - senjälkeen kun Italia asettui yhteiseen rintamaan liittolaisten kanssa on hawaittawissa myöskin italialaista waikutusta - on niin waimentunut, että Garibaldi haudassaan kääntäisi kylkeään, jos näkisi, että hänen nimeään kantawa loistawa, hehkuiva wäri on siinä määrin muuttunut. Myrtin wihreä on muuttunut tummaksi kuin sypressi; sitä käytetään esimerkiksi kukonsulkaisiin hattuihin, sellaisiin, joita italialaiset bersagtieerit käyttäwät.

Teeaikana Armenonvillessä on paljon wäkeä; kaikkien naisten waaleihin pukuihin kuuluu jouhipunoshattuja, jotka owat wähän ylöspäin taiwutettuja edestä ja takaa. Hatun kupu on matala ja ainoana koristeena on yksinkertainen nauha. Paitsi rosaa, walkoista ja waaleankeltaista, käytetään hatuissa mieluinten erästä sywän sinistä wäriwiwahdusta, syystaiwaan sinistä. Se wiwahtaa wahän ranskalaisten sotilaitten uniwormu-sineen ja tulee epäilemättä olemaan talwen wallitsewa wäri. Sitä paitsi näkee läytettäwän "Hinondelleä", [t]ummanharmaan ja sinisenharmaan wälimuotoa. "Tete de negre", mustansininen, joka aikanaan oli niin muodissa, on nyt saanut toisen wiwahteen eikä merimiessinistä saa enää Parisin liikkeistä - tummansininen wäri tulee nimittäin Saksasta. Nähtäwästi et tätä wäriä tulewana wuonna näe enää lainkaan käytettäwän. Suosikkiwärinä tulee näet olemaan kuten sanottu syystaiwaansini. Silkkikankaista on tafti yhä edelleen muodissa ja ylen yksinkertaiset leningit, jotka owat tänä syksynä tehdään wieraspuwuiksi, owat kaikki tummista taftikankaista, esimerkiksi leninki mustasta taftista, jossa on wähän walkeaa ja wyö tawallisesta sinisestä sekä hattu samasta wäristä.

Purpurn

Ute och hemma 12, 15.10.1916

Purpurn, detta forntidens präktiga och högtskattade färgämne, har under tidernas lopp blifvit till den grad bortglömt att man till och med ej var ense om hvad färg den egentligenhaft. Den kommer som bekant från vissa musselar ter, som lefde och ännu lefva i medelhafvet, vid Frankrikes atlanterkust och i Nordsjön. Det var naturligtvis uteslutande medelhafsarterna, som användes under forntiden; skalen af dem finnas också i stora mängder vid utgräfningar i Atén, Pompeji, o. s. v. I Rom, där purpurindustrin var högst utvecklad, är "Monte testacco", en betydlig höjd, bildad genomhopande af dem. De olika purpurmusslorna ha sin färgkraft i en körtelmassa, som ligger längs tarmen, och hvars afsöndring är hvit eller gulaktig. Den består af tre olika ämnen, ett gult, ett äppelgrönt och ett grågrönt, hvilket mot dagern öfvergår till karminrödt.

Under ljusets påverkan blir det färglösa eller svagt färgade körtelsekretet färgadt, då det allt efter ljusstyrkan på kortare eller längre tid genomlöper en skala af gult, grönt ,blått, ljusrödt, violett och mörkrödt. Det uppstår därvid en högst obehaglig lukt af hvitlök eller dyfvelsträck. I början är denna massa löslig i vatten, men när den blifvit violett, kan den ej längre upplösas. Genom tvättning med varmt vatten och såpa ombildas den till ett lysande hållbart ämne.

I forntiden utdrog man färgämnet ur musslan medelst hafsvatten, som därpå långsamt fick afdunsta, tills färgen blef tillräckligt stark, hvilket ibland tog en tid af hela 10 dygn. Man färgade icke garnet eller färdiga plagg, utan ullen och silket, innan det blef spunnet och väft. Ja, man färgade understundom till och med de lefvande fårenrödaoch violetta, liksom man i det gamla Egypten målade apor gröna och röda till deras ägares förnöjelse. Allt efter den mängd af färgämne, som användes vid färgningen, kan man frambringa en hel skala af färger i schattering från djupt himmelsblått till karmin. Den vanliga tron, att purpurn var en djupt röd eller violett färg, är sålunda icke riktig; den omfattar många färger, hvilka dock alla kunna föras tillbaka till de två grundfärgerna karminoch violett eller rödt och blått. Den romerske författaren Plinius liknar den tyriska purpurns färg med det stelnade blodets. Redan i assyriska inskrifter och den hebreiska litteraturen omtalas båda slagen. Därmed är den långa striden, om purpurn var rödeller blå, afgjord; den är än det ena, än det andra, beroende på framställningssättet. Man hade äfven grön purpur. Plinius liknar den vid hafvets dystra gröna färg i storm. Äfven till tyger, som skifta i flera färger, synes purpurn ha varit använd. Den har sålunda ersatt en stor mängd af nutidens olika färgämnen, som vorookända iforntiden, och som väl icke äro vackrare än den, menlättare att frambringa och säkert hållbarare.

Egendomlig är purpursaftens färgförändringi solljuset, hvilket gör den användbar vid fotografering. "Purpurfotografier" har man framställt på hvitt silke iklart solsken under 3 á 5 minuters exponering. Denna färgförändring och purpurns användning i det hela, voro, som sagdt, bortglömdabåde af industrin och vetenskapen. Men hos folken bibehöllsig kunskapen däromhär och där. Sålunda berättar en författare, att norska bönder vid västkusten år 1769 begagnade körtelsaften af en purpurmussla till att märka sitt linne med, och att märkningen först var grön, därpå svart och slutligen purpurröd.

Det är i synnerhet fransmannen Lacazo-Duthier, som genom sina omsorgsfulla undersökningar och försök har bragt klarhet öfver detta forntidens färgämne, dess framställning och dess användning.

Toimittajalta (osa kirjoituksesta)

Tietäjä 4, 1917

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Ajattelen Suomen lippua. Kaikki olemme nyt iloinneet siitä, että "leijonalippu" on liehunut katoillamme: punainen lippu ja kultainen leijona. Onhan se kaunis, - ja kuitenkin se muistuttaa niitä vanhoja aikoja, jolloin ihailtiin ruhtinaallista valtaa ja mahtavuutta. Mitä suomalaista siinä ihailussa on? Eihän leijonakaan ole suomalainen vertauskuva! Me suomalaiset emme ihaile ulkonaista loistoa, mahtavuutta ja valtaa. Me ihailemme, rakastamme ja kunnioitamme sydämestämme vain hengen herruutta, sanan mahtia, valon voimaa. Niin teemme, kun olemme itsellemme rehelliset, kun olemme omaa itseämme. Meidän sankarimme ovat tietäjiä, inhimillisesti yleviä mahtajia.

Leijonaa ei ole Kalevalassa. Kalevalassa on korkeintaan kotka. Mutta minkätähden kotkankaan tarvitsisi vaakunassamme ylpeillä? Onhan Kalevalassa toisia symboleja, jotka yhtä kauniisti ja ehkä vielä sattuvammin kuvaavat Suomen kansallista henkeä. Onhan kantele!

Miksei meidän vaakunassamme olisi kanteleen kuva? Kertoisihau se Suomen kansan uskosta kauneuden, taiteen, soiton, laulun, sanan, tiedon valtaan. Vaatimaton se olisi, mutta sisältörikas ja henkevä vertauskuva!

Entä värit! Eräässä kysymysillassa kysyttiin äsken: mitkä ovat Suomen värit? Vastasin siihen, että Suomen auran pohjaväri on sininen. Runollisessa intuitsionissaan Topelius aavisti oikein: sininen on Suomen väri. Se on kansallisen itsemme korkeampi ja syvempi väri. Sen niin sanoakseni personallinen väri on pohjaltaan viheriä ja pinnalta myös punainen. Sanoisin sentähden, että Suomen värit ovat sininen ja viheriä (valkoinen on tietysti syvimmällä kaikkien kansojen väreissä). Sininen ja viheriä yhdessä, sopivissa vivahduksissa, ovat silmälle sangen miellyttävät ja lepoisat.

Miksemme siis voisi ajatella sinivihreätä lippua, johon olisi kuvattu kultainen tai hopeinen (valkoinen) kantele. Ajatelkoot taiteilijamme tätä!

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Dictionarium Polygraphicum. Articles added by way of supplement. Indian red.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Indian red, or Persian-earth, is what we improperly call English-red; this is a very dear drug; especially such as is in littie pieces, moderately hard and of a high colour, used by shoe-makers, who steep it in the white of an egg, to colour shoe-heels with.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Articles added by way of supplement. To discover gold under a black colour, with an ivory Point, a great secret and very beautiful.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Having first laid your gold on your work, and burnish'd it well, grind lamp-black with linseed-oil, or nut-oil, adding to it as much umber, and black to make it dry, and then as much oil of spike, as linseed-oil.

Lay the black upon the gold, very smooth and even, and let it stand to dry about a day, more cr less, according to the time; it is dry enough when it will not stick to your fingers. Then take a point of ivory or stag's-horn well sharpened, rub it upon a piece of glass to take off the roughness, that it may no: scratch the gold or the white; then draw what you please with the point, discovering the gold.

If it appear bright and shining, and the black be not uneven and slovenly about the edges of the strokes you have made, then is your black in good temper; but if in discovering the gold, it seem tarnish'd, the black is not dry enough, therefore let it stand to be a little drier.

If the black be troublesome to get off, and cannot be easily done with an unslit pen, then mix spike oil, till it come to work easily, clean and bright; and then you may easily draw the finest hair-strokes.

The black being thus ordered, cover the burnished gold all over, with a soft pencil; and then with the feather of a turky-cock's tail, pass'd over the black as even and smooth as you can, free from all manner of dust or filth; being dry and having made your draught or figure as large as the work, follow the track of the lines with the point, and discover and lay open the gold.

If you would have the figures of birds, or little beasts, or any thing else, find out the strong lights of them, discover them by hatching with a pen or the point of a pen, is not too sharp; but if by the strokes approaching too near one another, you should happen to make a fault, you may mend it by laying on a little black, letting it dry.

If the way of making great lights be not easy, or shadows are more easy and pleasing to you, you may discover the gold with a point of soft wood, that it may not scratch the gold, which you must discover or lay open to the bigness of your whole figure, shadowing the proper places, as the nose, eyes, hair, &c. leaving it to dry; then hatch it with a point according to the judgment of him who draws it.

That you may know when 'tis dry enough to hatch, always at the same time you cover your work, cover also a little waste piece for trials, to prevent the spoiling your work.

Your work being finished, let it stand three or four days to dry, and varnish it with drying varnish twice, if you find there is occasion.

When you lay on the black, do but one piece at a time, because otherwise, some of it being too dry, it will be difficult to discover the gold.

You must also be very curious in the first laying on the varnish, to spread it gently for sear of defacing the work.



To do the same after a more easy manner.

Having cover'd your work with burnish'd gold or silver, (which you please) mix and grind lamp-black and umber together very well with water, taking care not to put so much umber as to spoil the black; then add some of the yolk of an egg, grinding it with it, and lay it on your work with a soft pencil or brush very smooth, and when it is dry (if you see occasion) give it a second laying of the same black, and with an ivory point very smooth, discover your work. If the black does not come easily off, there was too little of the yolk; if the strokes be too broad and ragged, then there was too much yolk of egg.

This way of discovering the gold, is more shining than the other; but be sure to be careful in varnishing you do not pull off the black, nor cause it to sully; and to that end, be sure to work with a soft pencil, and smooth stroke.

You need not much fear, in laying on the varnish the second time, provided it be not too thick, and it be oil of spike varnish.


To do the same another way.

Having laid the black on the burnish'd gold, as before directed, mix equal parts of linseed-oil and oil of spike, which lay lightly on with a large pencil; let the work stand to dry for 4 or 5 days more or less, according as you find the gold more or less easy toappear bright and shining.

By this way you may allow almost what time you will, always remembring to make a tryal, before you go to work.

For blue take azure; for red, fine lake; for green, verdegrease; and so in all other colours, being mixt and ground with the yolk of an egg, as before directed.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Articles added by way of supplement. An invisible ink.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
The first.
Take a penny-worth of litharge of gold or silver, unprepar'd; beat it, then infuse it in a vial, half full of strong vinegar, shake them well together, and set it by to settle; and when it is clear, wire upon paper with a new pen, and it will not appear at all.

The second ink.
Burn cork till it has done smoaking, quench it in aqua-vita, or spirit of wine, and dry it, and mix it with water and a little gum-Arabick, to the consistence of thin paste; when you would write with it, make it thinner than common water, and write upon what is written with the before mentioned ink.

The third ink.
Take yellow orp'ment and quick-lime, of each an ounce; beat them and put them into four ounces ofcommon water, and this water will take away the second ink, and make what was written with the first, appear.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Articles added by way of supplement. To make Bronze, or powder of the colour of gold.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
To make Bronze, or powder of the colour of gold.
Take of gum-elemi 12 drams, melt it; of crude mercury, one ounce, sal-armoniac, two ounces; put all into a glass-vial, with bole and whites of eggs: melt all, and when melted, add orpiment at discretion, with some filings of brass; being well mingled together, lay it with a pencil on that which you would bronze.

How to Bronze.
Having whited and made your figure smooth, grind crystal and touchstone with water, temper it with glue, and lay it on your work; instead of burnishing, rub the metal of which colour you would have, well, and it will be finished.

To bronze with copper.
Take pin-dust, grind it well, and wash it till the water be quite clear, mix it with glue, as you do tin-glass; lay it on the white ground with a pencil, and burnish; the same may be done with antimony.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Zaffer.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Zaffer; this is call'd in Latin Zaffira, which Merret tells us comes from Germany; it is taken by some for a preparation of an earth for tinging glass blue; others take it for a stone, and he himself for a secret, asserting that there are but few authors, who have made any mention of it, and no one that has told us what it is.

I shall here give you the sentiments of some authors, who speak of it, when the reader will see what authors are determined about it.

Cardan in his fifth book de subtilitate calls it a stone, his words are these; "there is another stone which colours glass blue, some call it zaffer."

Julius Scaliger, who has composed a treatise of glass, does not at all reprehend Cardan for calling it a stone. Cæsalpinus after Cardan, l. 2. c. 55. reckons it also amongst stones, thus he speaks of it: "there is another stone colouring glass blue, and if you add too much, it makes it black, they call zaffer; it inclines from an ash to a purple colour: it is heavy and brittle, and melts not of itself, but with glass runs like water."

Ferant. Imperatur, l.28. c. 8. says, that this stone is very like the load-stone and manganese; but the learned Agricola without doubt knew it not, for he makes no mention of it.

Anselmus Boetius of Boot, physician to the emperor Rodelphus II. who has giveq us a large history of all sorts of stones and jewels, has allotted no place to zaffer amongst those he mentions, altho' it be brought from Germany, according to the sentiment of Merret, who says zaffir is a compound, asserting it is neither earth nor stone, not mixing at all with water, nor breaking, as is easy to remark, by squeezing it between the fingers.

That certainly, if it were either of these two, it would have been discovered by the diligence of those that have treated of it, being of so great use to thole who make glass, which makes that author say, that zaffer is a secret, whereof the composition was found out by a German; that if he might give his conjecture of it, he should think it made of copper and sand, and some proportion of lapis calaminaris; that the blue colour it gives, seems to be owing to the brass, as that of manganese to iron. That only minerals can tinge glass, and that no materials can be found for that purpose, except metalline ones.

Wherefore he concludes, that the matter which composes zaffer can only be either copper or brass.


The method of preparing Zaffer for tinging Glass.

The only preparation of zaffer, according to Merret, is to grind it into a very small powder, and searce it through a fine sieve.

But Neri gives us one, which makes the glass much finer, which is this:

Take zaffer, in the biggest pieces you can get, put it into earthen pans, and let it stand one day in the furnace, then put it into an iron ladle to be heated red-hot in the furnace; take it thence, and sprinkle it with strong vinegar; being cool'd, grind it fine on a marble-stone, after which wash it with warm water in earthen pans, letting the zaffer settle to the bottom, and decanting off the water gently: this will separate the foulness and impurity from the zaffer, which will remain at the bottom pure and clean; which must be dry'd and ground again, and then kept in vessels close stopp'd for use.

This will tinge glass much better than the first.

Pomet, in his general history of drugs, makes mention of a mineral brought from Surat in the East-Indies, of a bluish colour, or like a partridge's eye, which he calls zafer, safre, or sapher, to which he ascribes the same virtue of tinging glass blue.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Of dying Yellows and Orange-Tawney.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
1. To dye a Yellow colour.
Take water a sufficient quantity, alum one pound, enter volt yarn cloth, &c. boil two hours, and take it out, and wash it clean. Take fresh fair water a sufficient quantity, fustick two pounds, let it boil, and enter your cloth, boil an hour, and take it out; this will dye twenty pounds weight.

2. To dye an Orange-Tawney.
Let your wool, yam, flannel, stuff, or cloth, &c. be first dyed inro a red colour; and then being red, let it be dyed into a yellow colour.

3. Another way to dye an Orange-Tawney.
Take stale wheat-bran liquor a sufficient quantity, alum three pound, enter twenty yards of broadcloth, handle and boil three hours; take it out, cool and wash it well. Take fair water, and good linge, or hedder, which grows in morasses, moors, or swamps, boil it a good while, and take forth the hedder, and cool with a little yellow; take it up and air it. Take fresh bran-liquor a sufficient quantity, madder two pounds, enter your cloth, and boil it with a quick fire, then take it out, cool it, and wash it well. Observe you may make it a good yellow with fustick, and then afterwards perfect it with madder.

4. To make another Yellow colour.
Take buckthorn berries gathered about the beginning of August, bruise them, and add a little alum in fine powder, mix and keep all in a brass vessel.

5. Another good Yellow.
Make a strong tincture of saffron in whitewine vinegar, and add thereto a sufficient quantity of alum in powder.

6. To make another excellent Yellow dye.
Take pure clear wheat-bran liquor thirty quarts, alum three pounds, enter your stuff or cloth, boil for two hours; after which take wold, weld, or dyer's weed two pounds, and boil it 'till you see the colour good.

7. Another good Yellow dye or colour.
Take running water and malt-wort, of each a like quantity; in which dissolve a sufficient quantity of alum by boiling: into this liquor put whatsoever you would have dyed yellow, and let it boil a good while, then take it out, and put it into a strong decoction of wold, weld, or dyer's weed, made with chalkwater, and laying weight upon it, let it boil one hour or two.

8. To dye an Orange-Tawney colour.
Make a weak lixivium of pot-ashes, or buck-ashes, as women wash their clothes withal, put into it wood-foot a sufficient quantity, and black cork; boil a while, then put in the matter you would dye (being first dyed yellow) and let it boil a little, casting in while it boils a handful of bay-salt.

9. To dye Barley-straw, &c. of a Yellow.
Take a lixivium of pot-ashes, a sufficient quantity of yellow bark, of the barberry-tree a pound, make a decoction, and in this boil your straw.

10. To dye a Yellow colour.
Take alum-water a sufficient quantity, inner bark of a plumbtree one pound, or as much sumach; make a decoction, and boil what you think fit in it, and it will be of a fair yellow.

11. To make a Yellow.
Take orpiment a sufficient quantity, grind it with water, then put it in little parcels upon paper to dry, and then you may me it as a pigment.

12. To make an Orange colour.
Take vermilion, grind it with a little saffron, and then mix it with a little red-lead.


To dye Thread Yellow.
Boil eight pound of broom, one pound of Spanish yellow, one pound ot crab-tree rind, and one pound of corn marigold in a kettle, with three quarts of sharp lye, and work the thread in the liquor three times successively, not suffering it to dry be tween whiles, and it will be of a beautiful and lasting colour.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Yellow silk Dyes, and first Blossom-Yellow. To dye silk yellow. To dye stuff's a brimstone Yellow.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Yellow silk Dyes, and first Blossom-Yellow.
Dye it after the same manner as gold colour, then heighten it with orange-dying suds, after which rinse and dry it.

To dye silk yellow.
Procure a clean kettle, put in a sufficient quantity of water, and for every pound of silk put in two pound of yellow wood, and six ounces of galls; let the yellow wood boil an hour before you put in the galls, and afterwards boil them together for half an hour, and then put in the silk, having first alumed and rinsed it, stirring the dye; then wring it out of the kettle with a little pot-ashes; and after it has been wrung out, put it into the dye again, and leave it there to soak for a whole night, and in me morning, rinse, beat, and dry it.

To dye stuff's a brimstone Yellow.
Boil the stuff in three pound of alum, one pound of tartar, and three ounces of salt for an hour; throw away the water, then make a liquor of yellow-brown, laying it in the same order as straw in brew-houses; then add lye-ashes, and draw the stuff through the dye three or four times very quick; to do which dexterously, it will require the assistance of three or four men.

Another.
Let the stuffs be alumed as usual for half an hour, and then for every pound of ware take half a pound of yellow dye-weed, and a handful of wood-ashes; boil them a quarter of an hour, then throw the rinsed ware into the liquor, work it about, 'till you perceive it to be well dyed, then cool it and rinse it out.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Yellows.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
There are some objects, which have the appearance of gold, shining through the colours of green, red, or blue; such as some sort of flies and beetles, and the Cantharides.

This golden transparency is very well imitated by laying on, the drawing some leaf-gold on the shaded part, a little giving into the light side of the print.

The way of laying on the leaf-gold, is to wash the paper, where the gold is to be, with strong gum-water, and when it is grown something dryish, to lay on the gold as smooth and even as possible, pressing it down close with cotton. But in doing this, care must be taken, that in laying on the gum-water, you do not exceed the limits you would have the gold appear to shine.

In this case the gold is to shine only through the transparent colour, which is to be laid upon it.

You must observe this, that the leaf-gold will not regularly receive water-colours, and for that reason it must be stroak'd over with a little thin liquor of ox-gall in a painting-brush of camel's hair, and then it will receive any colour that we have a mind to paint upon it, and will hold it. So you may have golden reds, golden greens, and golden blues, golden yellows, golden purples, and whit you please.

The green may be first the verdigrease green, orthefap-green; the reds may be lake or carmine; the purples, lake and fine indigo, or carmine and indigo; and for the blues, indigo on the dark side, and on the light side a little stroke of ultramarine blue, suit to shine into the light, and it will have an admirable effect.

NB. There is to be found upon rose-trees in June and July, a kind of beetle of a golden green colour, which will serve for a direction in this kind of painting.

But if gold itself be us'd, it will be belt to polish it, which you may do afeer the following manner:

There are to be seen in many manuscripts fine golden letters, which rise above the surface of the vellum or paper, the composition that raises them above the paper, is said to be made of vermilion and the white of an egg, whisk'd or beaten up to that consistence, as is call'd an oil, work'd together like a kind of paste, and with a stamp fix'd to the vellum or paper, with gum Arabick; on this figure of a letter wash some strong gum-water with a camel's hair pencil, taking care that the gum does not reach more than the out-lines; then lay on the leaf-gold close with some cotton, and as soon as it is dry, rub it with some dry cotton, and then polish it with a dog's tooth; this will make it appear, as if it was really cast in gold.

There is besides this another way of working in gold, and that is perform'd by shell-gold; but then it must be pure gold, and not that which is brought from Germany, which will turn green in a few day's time.

Before you use this gold, cover the shady parts with vermilion; and after your gold has been well rectified with spirits of wine, lay it on with gum-water, which will readily mix with it, and when it is dry, polish it with a dog's tooth.

In laying on the gold it may be best to leave the lights vacant of it, and so it will make a much brighter appearance than if the object was covered all over.

But if one was to cover by accident the whole piece with gold, there is no better way to set it off, than by tracing over the shady parts with gall-stone; or, which is much preferable, the yellow, the composition of which you will find below, made of French berries, 1 mean that which is the deepest in colour; a little minium brightens it very much. How the minium is to be rectified you may see among the reds, and polish the go!d before you use the minium on it.

After gold I shall treat of yellows, as they fall gradually in their course of strength.

The first yellow is a kind of straw-colour, and is made of flower of brimstone, which of itself is fine enough to mix with gumwater.

A common way of illuminating prints, is by giving the tincture of gamboge for a yellow, and this may be of two or three sorts, either fainter or stronger; the last to be a shade to the first, and the last to be shaded with the preparation of French-berries.

The great Mr. Boyle, in some papers he left behind him, say, that if the roots of barberries are cut, and put into a lixivium made strong with water and pearl-ashes, there will be a fine yellow colour produe'd from it; which having been try 'd, succeeds very well.

He likewise proposes another way for making a transparent yellow, which is, by washing the root of mulberry-tree very clean from the earth, in common water, and boiling it in a strong lixivium of pearl-ashes and water; and it will afford a yellowish juice, from which may be extracted a tincture, much deeper than the former.

Yellow oker will make another good pale yellow; but it is a colour, rather of too much body for illuminating of print; but yet being well ground with gum-water, it is or use after it has been well wash'd.

The plant celandine will afford another good yellow, by infusing inn water, and pressing it gently, and then boiling the liquor with a little alum; this yellow will incline a little to green.

But a yellow, which some prefer to the rest, and may be us'd in several capacities of lights, is one made of French berries, prepar'd as follows:

Boil two ounces of French berries in a quart of lixivium made of pearl-ashes and water, 'till the liquor will give a fine tinge of yellow to a bit of paper dipp'd into it, then pour it off from the berries, let the liquor cool, and then put it into bottle for use.

Then again put a pint of the same lixivium to the berries, and boil them 'till the liquor is as deep-coloured as gall-stone; and this will be fit for the shade of any sort of yellows you can use.

This may be boil'd 'till it produces a brown colour; and will, with a little ox-gall, serve to shade any leaf-gold, that has been laid on paper, and is much preferable to gall-stone in imitating any gold colour. It answers well upon a tincture of gamboge, or any of the former yellows.

Next to this may be reckon'd the tincture of saffron, in common water only, which affords a bright reddish yellow, such as one would have (to cover the shadowed parts or a print) for an orange-colour; and when saffron is infus'd in rectified spirits of wine, there is nothing higher; but then, except the colour be loaded with gum Arabick, it will fly.

As for a deep yellow with a body, Dutch pink comes the nearest of any to the before-mention'd strong yellow made of French berries in point of colour; and of a lighter yellow is the English pink, which is still made of French berries, and in a body likewise.

Also a good yellow colour, for illuminating of prints, may be extracted from the French roots of ginger, and it makes a fine green with transparent verdigrease.

N B. The English and Dutch yellow pinks are made with French berries ground to a fine powder, and boiled.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Yellow.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Yellow is a bright colour, reflecting the most light of any after white.

There are divers yellow substances that become white upon wetting, and drying them again several times at the sun; as wax, linen cloth, &c.

The same bodies, if they be already white, and continue a longtime in the air, without being wetted, turn yellow.

Paper and ivory, apply'd near the fire, become successively yellow, red, and black. Silk when turn'd yellow is whitened with the fumes of sulphur.

Yellow in Dying is one of the five simple and mother colours. For the finest yellows they first boil the cloth or stuff in alum and pot-ashes, and give the colour with goud.

Likewise turmeric gives a good yellow, tho' not the best. There is also an Indian wood that gives a yellow colour, bordering on gold. There is another sort of yellow made of savoury, but this is inferior to them all.

With yellow, red of madder, and that of goat's-hair prepar'd with madder, are made the gold yellow; Aurora, thought-colour, Macarate, Isabella, chamoise colour, which are all casts or shades of yellow.

Painters or Enamellers make their yellow of masticote, which is ceruss raised by the fire, or with oker.

Limners and colourers make it with saffron, French berries, orcanette, &c.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum. Containing. Polygraphick Dictionary. W. To make wood of the colour of Walnut-tree. To wash colours. Steeping of colours. To whiten green or grey flax.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
To make wood of the colour of Walnut-tree.
Dry the peels of walnuts in the sun, boil them in nut-oil, and rub the wood over with it.

To wash colours.
Put the colour into a glaz'd vessel, and put fair water to it plentifully, wash it well, and decant (after a while) the water, do this 6 or 7 times; at last put the water (being just troubled) into another glaz'd vessel, leaving the dregs at the bottom; then into this second vessel put more fair water, washing it as before, till the water (being settled) be clear, and the colour remain fine at the bottom. Before you take the colour out ofthe vessel, spread it very thin about the sides thereof and when it is dry, some of it will sall to the bottom, which keep by it self; but the remainder which sticks to the sides of the bason is the best of all, which with a feather strike off from the sides of the vessel, for it will be finer than any flower.

Steeping of colours.
Take a quantity of the colour and put it into a shell, and sill the shell with fair water, to which add some fine powder of alum, to raise the colour; let it thus steep a day and night, and you will have a good colour. Where note, saffron steep'd in vinegar gives a good colour, and the Venice berries in fair water and a little alum, or a drop or two of oil of vitriol, makes a fair yellow. But some colours are to be boil'd, as Brazile, logwood, turnsole, rinds of wallnuts, wood-foot, &c. these when boil'd are to be kept close stopp'd in glasses, till you have occasion to use them.

To whiten green or grey flax.
First make a lye of good ashes and unslak'd lime, and steep the fax in it for twenty-four hours; and afterwards add some sal-armoniac put inco the middle of some unslak'd lime, and a few warm ashes; pour off the water, and make a sharp lye, and boil the flax in this lye for an hour or two, and you will find it become very white and bright, and that the sal-armomac is fix'd.
When the flax has been steep'd in the lye, boil'd, and well dry'd, then it must be rinsed very well in running or river water, and blued and wrung out with the hands.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Secret Writing.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Secret Writing.
Put powder of alum into water, and what you write the letters will not appear; but put the paper into water, and then you may read it, or juice of spurge will do.

To Write letters that cannot be discovered.
Take a sheet of white paper, double in the middle of it, then cut holes through both the half-sheets, cut the holes like the panes of a glass window, or any other fashion you please; then with a pin prick two little holes at each end, and cut your paper in two halves, and give one half to your friend, to whom you design to write, and keep the other half your self.
When you write, lay your cut paper on half a sheet of wri ting paper, and stick two pins through the two holes, that it stir not, then write your mind to your friend thro' these holes; then takeoff the paper with the holes, and write any thing, what you please, to fill up the vacancy. And when your friend receives the letter, let him lay his cut paper on it, putting the pins into the holes, and then what you wrote not to the purpose is covered, and he discovers your mind.

Another way.
Write the letter with common ink on one side, then turn the paper, and write on the other side with milk what you would have secret, (with a clean pen) and let it dry; then when it is to be read, let the written side be held next the fire, and the milky letters will appear bluish on the other side, and may be perfectly read.

An exquisite method of invisible Writing.
The first ink. Take a pennyworth of litharge of gold or silver unprepared, pound it in a mortar, then infuse it in a vial half full of strong vinegar, shake them well together, and let them stand to settle, and being clear, write upon your paper with a new pen, and it will not appear at all.
The second Ink. Burn cork 'till it has done smoking, extinguish it in aqua-vita, or spirit of wine, dry it, and mix it with Water, and a little gum-Arabick, to the consistence of thin paste; when you would write with it, make it thinner with common water, and write upon what is written with the forementioned ink.
The third Ink. Take yellow orpiment and quick-lime, of each an ounce, pound them in a mortar, and put them in four ounces of common water, and stir them well; this water will take away the second ink, and make what was written with the first appear.

Writing not to be read but in water.
Write with the juice of spurge or alum-water, dry it, and it will not be legible without wetting.

To make black writing vanish, and appear again.
Dissolve burnt tartar in common water, and filtrate it; strike it over the writing, and it will disappear.

To make the writing appear again.
Dissolve an ounce of white vitriol in a pint of water, filtrate it, strike the paper over with it, and the writing will presently appear as before.

To write with ink, which will vanish in five days.
Infuse an ounce of sal-armoniac four or five days in strong water: make of it ink with a piece of touchstone beaten fine, and what you write with it will be gone in five days.

To write with an ink that shall vanish in twenty-four hours.
Boil galls in strong water, put to it some vitriol, a little sal-armoniac, and a little gum-Arabick, and it is done.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. To write with Gold and Silver.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Grind gum-armoniac with a little juice of garlick, and put to it a few drops of weak water of gum-Arabic, and so make it to the thickness of an ink, that you may conveniently write with it; then let it dry a little, but not too much, lest it should not take the leaf-gold or silver; nor too little, lest it drown them. Then lay the leaf-gold or silver upon a gilding cushion; take it up with a piece of cotton, on which you have breath'd, and cover with it the part you intended, pressing it down hard; and where the gum-water is, it will take. Then brush off with a bit of other cotton, what it has not taken; and when it is thoroughly dry, burnish it with a piece of polish'd ivory, and it will appear very bright.

Another way.
Take shell-gold, which is made of the rug ged edges or cuttings of leaf-gold; and when you are going to use it, put in a little fair water, and temper it up with a clean pencil, and lay it on either with pen or pencil, in what form you please, either by way of writing or gilding, and let it be thoroughly dry; rub it over with a dog's, calf's, or horse's foretooth, and it will be very shining and lustrous.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. To make wood of divers colours.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
For a red.
Take half a pound of Fernambouc, or what other you think fit, rain-water, a handful of quick-lime, and two handfuls of ashes; let them steep for half an hour in the water, and settle to the bottom; then take a new earthen pot, and put in the Fernambouc, with the lye made of lime and ashes; and having steep'd half an hour, boil it. Then let it cool a little, and pour it into another new pot, adding to it half an ounce of gum-Arabick; then put some rain-water and a piece of alum into another pot or pan; boil it, soak the wood in this alumed water, then take it out and dry it; then warm your red colour, and with a brush, rub it as long as you think necessary; then dry it and polish it with a dog's tooth, and it will be of a shining scar let colour.

Another excellent red.
Boil Brazile in rain-water till it be high coloured, then strain it through a cloth; but you must be sure, not to use any thing of iron about it, as ladle, &c. Then give your wood one laying or washing of saffron, steep'd in water, which will render it of a pale yellow; when it is dry, give it several washings of the Brazile water, till the colour is to your mind; let it dry and burnish it with a tooth, and varnish it with drying varnish, with the palm of your hand, and it will be of a beautiful red inclining to orange. If you put a spoonful of lee amongst the Brazile, it will make the red deeper; or if you boil it with a little alum: but the yellowing it, improves the colour; and by how much the wood is whiter, by so much the more beautiful will the colour be.

Another red for wood.
Reduce orchanet to fine powder, and mix it with oil of nuts, make it luke-warm, and rub the wood.

Another.
Temper Brazile in oil of tartar, with which, rub over the wood, and it will become of an excellent red.

To stain wood of a yellow colour.
This may be done either with French-berries and alum, or with turmerick or saffron, or Merita-earth. A polish'd black for wood. Cover the wood with lamp-black, ground with gum-water, with a pencil; and when it is dry, polish it with a tooth, and it will look very well.

Another black dye for wood.
Put little pieces of very rusty iron into good black ink, and let it stand for some days; afterwards rub the wood with it, and it will penetrate it, then polish it with a tooth, and it will look very beautiful.

To counterfeit ebony wood.
The most solid wood, and freest from veins, is best; such as pear-tree, apple-tree, and service-tree; take any of these woods, and black it well, and when it is dry, rub it with a cloth; then having made a little brush with rushes, tied near the ends, melt some wax in a pot, mixing some lamp-black with it; then with the brush, throw on some of the wax, brushing it till it shine like ebony; then rub it with a cloth, and some of the wax.
The wood should be well polish'd and rush'd, before it is black'd.
Holley is the best of woods for counterfeiting of ebony. This is to be put into a hat-maker's copper, where he dyes his hats; and when it has been ting'd to the thickness of a six-pence (which you may know by cutting it) take it out and dry it in the shade, that it may the better imbibe the dye-water; then polish it with an iron, to take off the foulness of the dye; and afterwards, with rush, powder of charcoal, and sallet-oil; as is done to ebony.
The wood of Tunis polishes easily; it also burnishes well with a tooth, and is better to cut than ebony, which is very brittle.

An excellent blue colour for wood.
Boil a quarter of a pound of turnsole for an hour, in 3 pints of lime-water, and colour the wood with it.

A violet colour for wood.
Temper Dutch turnsole with water, and strain it through a cloth; before it is used on your work, try it on 2 piece of white wood, to see if it be not too deep. When you have laid on the colour, put some of the same colour to a quantity of water, to render it very thin, and wash the wood with this, till it become bright; then dry it, burnish, and varnish it; and if the wood be white before, it will then be of an excellent blue.

Another Violet.
Boil 4 ounces of Brazile and 8 ounces of logwood together, in a quarts of water, with an ounce of common alum; and in these, boil the wood.

A purple colour for wood.
Steep turnsole as is directed for the violet-colour, and add to it, the tincture of Brazile boil'd in lime-water, and it will be an excellent purple: this ought to be varnished, both to beautify, and to preserve it.

A way of staining, or marbling wood.
Grind white-lead and chalk together on a marble; put it into apor, and temper it again with the yolk of an egg, beaten with water; then lay on this white with a large pencil; let it dry, and go over it again with the same; let it dry again, and then take a point made of a stag's horn; draw off the white, where and in what form you will; then sprinkle the lime mix'dwith urine. The violet wood which dyers use, will become black as ebony; by sprinkling it with lime and urine, plum-tree and cherry-tree, turn of a deep red; the pear-tree and service-tree, turn reddish; walnut-tree grows black, by mingling some galls in powder, with lime and urine.
A pencil made of mutton-suet, rubb'd where you would draw with yolks of eggs, will do the same thing.
It will be excellent upon black cherry-tree, plum-tree, or any wood of a dark colour.

To make wood of a silver colour.
Reduce tin-glass in a mortar, to fine powder; add to it water, and grind it to the fineness of paint; put it into an earthen pan, and wash it two or three times till it is very clean; and then mix clear glue with it, and having first warmed the wood, lay the mixture on it with a brush; let it dry, and polish it with a tooth.

To make wood of the colour of gold, silver, copper or brass.
Pound rock-crystal very fine in a mortar, then grind it on a marble with clean water; then put it into an earthen vessel win a woo a little glue, warm it and lay it on your work, as above; rub it with gold, silver or copper, and it will be of the same colour you rub it with, then polish it.

To lay on pencil-gold or silver on wood.
Temper the gold or silver with weak gum-tragacanth water, very clear; lay it on the lights of your work, with a pencil, without touching the shadows, which are to be done with indigo, ground with a weak gum-Arabick water; then varnish it with the drying varnish.

The drying varnish is made as follows.
Mix spike-oil with gum-sandarach; if it be too thick, add some oil: in making it, let it not have a greater heat than may be endured by the hands; black wood, or wood dyed black, is the most proper for gilding.

For silver upon wood.
First lay the wood over with parchment-glue, and when it is dry, figure it as you think fit; shadow and finish with water in which tallow has been boiled, heighten with silver, (as in that of gold) and then varnish it.

To colour wood after the manner of marble.
For a table, &c. first lay 7 or 8 layers of white, as tho' it were to be gilded with burnish'd gold; then having ready ground black, not over-much siz'd, add thereto a little yolk of egg, and a little dry saffron; lay it on, let it dry, and then burnish it exactly.
By this means you may counterfeit to the life, all sorts of marble, having a little experience in colours; and make also all sorts of works; as fretted work, flat work, ovals, &c.
Let there be in the colours, a little yolk of egg and saffron; that is, in such as can bear it, colouring the marble with divers colours; the colours must be laid on clear, like threads. You may also on such a ground before directed, pour out a shell of one colour in one place, then turning it shelving on one side, cause the colours to run, which will make veins; and then take another shell, full of another colour, and do the like; so continuing with all your colours.
Or else with a gross brush, lay all your colours very clear, near one another.
After the colours are dry, you may make use of the pencil to repair the desects; then burnish your work, which will not be subject to dust or spoiling.

To colour a frame with fine speckled red.
Grind vermilion with water, then siw it, and grind it with a drop or two of yolk of egg.
With this colour, speckle the wood of the frame with a pencil, and when it is dry, take lake ground with water, and a little size, two drops of yolk of egg, and with the end of the brush, spot it, letting remain as much white as you lay on red; then burnish it with a tooth, and gild the mouldings with burnish'd gold.

An exquisite way of enriching and beautifying wooden works.
First cover your wooden work with hot glue, then with the mixture of glue, and whiting upon this, lay the size for burnish'd gold, and lay on the gold and silver and burnish it; then having ground right indigo with yolk of an egg, and that being very thin and clear, lay it on the silver, so as that the silver may appear through it. When it is dry, pounce your paper pattern, being whitened with chalk; then with the same indigo, draw over the pounced strokes of your figure as neatly as you can, as if you were to draw a figure with a pen, upon paper; then with the same indigo made thinner, shadow it, and afterwards with umber; then heighten with a wooden point, by hatching the lights, then varnish toe work, and it will seem to be enamelled.

Another way, but more glorious.
Instead of indigo, steep Dutch turnsole for a day or two in water, then strain it through a cloth from the dregs; grind and mix this water with the yolk of an egg, lay this on your silver, then with turnsole ground with turnsole-water, draw with a pencil what lines or figures you think fit, which you may shadow and hatch in the proper places, which heighten in discovering the silver, as before directed; then varnish the work.

To make the ground of a purple colour.
Boil Brazile in lime-water, and mix with turnsole-water. This will not last so well as that done with indigo, because the turnsole in time, is apt to turn red, and will stain the silvery therefore before you varnish, lay upon it the white of an egg beaten into glair, which will render it much more durable, and admirably beautiful.

To inrich carv'd work, or any sort of wooden work.
The wooden work, whether picture-frames, or other things, cover with burnished silver (as taught under the article gildings &c.) and having made some vellum-glue, or parchment-glue, boil'd to a thick jelly, strain it through a cloth; let it stand to settle, and then strain it again; then with this glue, give one laying upon your work with a soft brush: if that be not enough, give a second; and then varnish it. But before you varnish, if you have a mind so to do, you may paint flowers, fruits, leaves, or birds, in water-colours, and in their proper colours; and varnish them, having first laid them over with glue.
Note, you may mix with your glue, either milk, or soap of Alicant.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Dying of wood, horns and bones.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
To dye elder, box, mulberry-tree, pear-tree, of the colour of ebony.
Let the wood lie in steep in alum-water for 3 or 4 days, then boil it in common oil, with a little Roman vitriol and sulphur.
Where take notice, that the longer you boil the wood, the blacker it will be; but if it be boil'd too long, it will make it brittle.

To do this according to Glauber.
Distil in aqua-fortis, salt-petre and vitriols and with this besmear the wood, as often as you see accasion.

To dye wood red.
First boil it in alum-water, and afterwards put it into a tincture of Brazile-water for a fortnight or 3 weeks, or into a tincture of Brazile and milk.

To dye wood blue.
First boil it in alum-water, and then put it into a dissolution of indigo and urine.

To dye wood green.
Put as much filings of copper into aqua-fortis as it will dissolve; then put in the wood, &c. and let it lie all night, and it will tinge it of a fair green.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Whiteness.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Whiteness is the quality which denominates a body white. But sir Is. Newton shews that whiteness consists in a mixture of all the colours; and that the light of the sun is white, because consisting of rays of all colours.

From the multitude of rings of colours which appear upon compressing two prisms, or object-glasses, or telescopes together, it is manifest, that these do so interfere and mingle with one another at last, as after 8 or 9 reflections, to dilute one another wholly, and constitute an even and uniform whiteness.

From whence, as well as from other experiments, it appears that whiteness is certainly a mixture of all colours; and that the light which conveys it to the eye, is a mixture of rays endued with all those colours.

He also shews that whiteness, if it be most strong and luminous, is to be reckoned of the first order of colours; but if less, as a mixture of the colours of several orders: of the former sort, he reckons white metals; and of the latter, the whiteness of froth, paper, linen, and most other white substances.

And as the white of the first order, is the strongest that can be made by plates oftransparent substances, so it ought to be stronger in the denser substances of metals, than in the rarer ones air, water, and glass.

Gold, or copper, mix'd either by fusion or amalgamation, with a very little mercury, with silver, tin, or regulus or antimony, become white; which shews, both that the particles of white metals have much more surface, and therefore are smaller than those of gold or copper; and also that they are so opake, as not to suffer the particles of gold or copper to shine through them.

And as he doubts not, but that the colours of copper and gold are of the second and third order, therefore the panicles of white metals, cannot be much bigger than is requisite to make them reflect the white of the first order.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. How to make upon art open white ground fillets and branch'd work.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
First lay your frame or other work with boiling size, as is directed for laying upon white to gild with burnish'd gold; and having siz'd it, take lamp-black well ground with water, then size it as the white, and go over your work with it five or six times, and afterwards rush it: then grind some of the same white, and grind it with as much yolk of egg as may make the white polish, and go over the work once or twice with this; and when it is dry, burnish the white with a tooth, then with your iron draw upon the white fillets, branch'd works or portraits, according to your fancy, till the black appears.

The freezes of your frame will seem to be of ivory, and the black will seem to be engraved, or pieces of ebony inlaid in Ivory.

But to make it the better to resemble ivory, you should have by you a little piece of polish'd ivory, the better to represent its colour, which is not so white as chalk; but a little inclining to yellow, and this may be imitated by grinding with your chalk a little yellow oker, or a little pale masticote, or the bones of sheep's trotters burnt and ground to powder.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. To discover white upon black with an iron pencil.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Having well cover'd your frame or other piece of work with a white ground, well varnish'd, polish'd and rush'd; take lamp black, and having ground it with yolk of egg, make trial of it apart, to see whether the black, when fixt, will burnish very bright. You must size your black as much as it is necessary to make it stick.

Colour your frame, &c. with this black, lay it on well, dry it, and burnish it with a tooth; then take an awl or bodkin of iron, sharpened and flatted at the end like a chizel, of such breadth you would have your fillet to be, and with a ruler and this iron thus sharpen'd, draw fillets, scraping off the black, till you come to the white.

You may also, if you please, with a bodkin make Moresk works, which you may hatch into every leaf; as also other branch'd works, the imbossment of which, you may make by scraping off the black with an iron bodkin, till you can see the white, still keeping your iron-tool sharp and smooth.

By this means your work will be of a fine black, well burnish'd or polish'd like marble, in which you will have branch'd works that will seem like ivory inlaid in wood.

If your figures appear too much shadow'd, after you have drawn out all your work with a bodkin, take one or more irons like a folding-stick or rather blunter, as you shall see convenient; let it be well smooth'd and harden'd, and with it rub the figures as evenly as is possible, till no black appears any longer; but not suffering the iron to enter any farther than the superficies of the whites that is, when the black shall be rubb'd off, and the figure shall appear very white and smooth; and afterwards with a tooth burnish the white you have laid bare: and lastly with a small pencil, you shall draw the lines and hatch the shades, as if it were horn engraven or carv'd.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Of making white colours.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
A fine white for water-colours.
Dissolve filings of fine silver, or leaf-silver, in aqua-fortis or spirit of nitre, then evaporate the aqua-fortis till it looks like crystals in the bottom of the glass: decant the other part of the aqua-fortis, and wash the silver five or six times in common water, till it be freed from the aqua-fortis, which may be known by tasting it; then dry it for use. It must be used with gum-water, with a little water of sugar-candy.

An incomparable fine white lead.
Take choice white lead, grind it well upon a porphyry with vinegar, and it will turn blackish; thsn take a pot full of wares, and wash the white lead in it very well; let it settle, and pour off the water; grind it again with vinegar; repeat this once or twice, and you will have an excellent white, both for watercolours and painting in oil.

To make the white to be used with glove-leather size, for making a very fine polish'd gold.
Having made the size, scrape some crayon white with a knife, or grind it upon a marble; melt and heat your size as hot as can be, then take it off the fire, and put in white enough to make it of the consistence of pap, let it stand to infuse for a quarter of an hour; then stir and mix it with a bog's hair-brush.

Add more size to this white, to make it thinner, for the first and second goings over.

Let your first lay be dry before you go over it with a second; and if it be wood you work upon, you ought to repeat it twelve times; but if it be paste-board, six or seven will be sufficient.

When this has been done, dip a soft brush in water, and strain it between your fingers, and brush your work over with it, to cause it to lie more smooth and even. As soon as your brush is full of white, you must wash it over again, and even change the water; when it is too white, you may use a wet cloth instead of a brush.

When the work is smooth and even, let it stand to dry; and when it is dry, rub it over with shave grafs, or a piece of new cloth, to make it the kinder.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Whites for painting in miniature.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
The best white that is pretended to be fold for painting in water colours, is flake white, which is better than white lead ground; and if it be pure, far exceeds it in beauty, because white lead is apt to turn blackish, especially if it be used in a hard warer.

But some recommend a white made of pearl or the whiter parts of oister-shells, redue'd into an impalpable powder so soft, as to seel like grounds of starch or hair powder: this is by some call'd pearl-white; but it is difficult to be come by. This white will mix well with any colour.

But if you use white lead, first rectify it with white-vine vinegar, this will cause a fermentation, and the white will soon settle; then pour off the vinegar, and wash it with common water. The method of washing it is thus:

Put the Powder into a glass of water, stir it about, and presently pour off the water, while it is white, into some other clean glass or veslel; let it settle, and then pour off the water from it, and it will be excellently fine.

When this white is settled, put to it as much gum-water as is necessary to bind it or give it a glaze.

It is observable, that white lead will turn black, if mix'd with water that comes from iron or clay; that is, in the space of a month or two, you may perceive those places where it lies thickest ting'd with black, and if it be mix'd with any other colour it will soon change or alter it.

Some recommend the powder of egg-shells of the brightest colour and well clean'd and wash'd, as very good to be ground with gum water; or you may put about a twentieth part of clear white sugar candied to grind with it in water; grind it as fine as possible, that is, to the state of what is call'd an impalpable powder, and then use it.

Some say it is better, if some rectified spirits of wine be pour'd on it, which will clear it from any dross that may be in it; this (as it is very probable) must be pour'd off, when the spirit of wine has done its work, and then the parts left behind, must be mix'd with gum-water again.

But it has been found by experience, that egg-shell powder is of very great service as a white in water-colours, and that that it self and the powder of oister-shells well rectified and mixed with the white of an egg well beaten, will make an extraordinary mixture in other colours, and will correct them from changing or altering their qualities.

But as for white for illuminating of prints, the clear white of the paper is proper to be left uncolour'd; and if it happens that the paper is apt to sink, or to spread any water-colour that is laid upon it more than is necessary, then the way to correct it is as follows:

Fix the paper in such a station, as may only receive the colour you lay on to glaze, just as far as you design'd it; then take some starch boil'd and prepar'd in water of a middle strength, and with a large painting-brush stroke it over the back of the print; and after it has been well dry'd in the air or sun, put the print in a book with a weight upon it, to take out the crumpings, which it may receive by wetting of it; and so will any print be render'd fit to receive water-colours, and prevented from running farther than we would have them.

There is a sort of earth that comes from China, that is of a very soft nature, and very white; which does better in watercolours than any of the rest; but it is very scarce.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. White.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
WHITE is one of the colours of natural bodies: but it is not so properly said to be of any colour, as a composition of all colours.

It is demonstrated by sir Isaac Newton, that those bodies only appear white, which reflect all the kinds of colour'd rays alike.

Hevelius affirms it as a certain truth, that in the northern countries, animals, as hares, foxes, bears, &c. become white in the wi ter time, and in the summer resume their natural colours.

Black bodies are found to take heat sooner than white ones, by reason that black ones absorb or imbibe rays of all kinds and colours, and white reflect all.

Thus black paper is sooner put into a flame by a burning-glass than white; and black cloths hung up by the dyers dry sooner than white ones.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. (Wax recipies.)

Red sealing wax.
Take one pound of bees-wax, three ounces of fine turpentine, one ounce and an half of red lead and vermilion finely ground, olive-oil an ounce, melt the wax and turpentine, and one ounce of rosin finely powdered; when they are well melted, and the drosi taken off, put in the red-lead or vermilion, and stir them well together 'till they are well incorporated; and you may, when it grows a little cool, make it up into what form you please.

To make an ordinary red soft sealing wax.
Take common bees-wax two pound, turpentine six ounces, oil of olive two ounces; melt all these together, then add six ounces of red-lead; boil them a little, and stir 'till it is almost cold; cast it into fair water, and make it up into rolls or cakes.

To make fine red hard sealing wax.
Take pure fine shell-lac, melt it in an earthen vessel, and put into it a sufficient quantity of the colour you design the wax to be of. To every half pound of gum lac, put an ounce and an half, or two ounces, of purely fine ground vermilion; mix them well over the fire, and when it is of a fit coolness, make it up into rolls or cakes.
You may set a gloss upon it, by gently beating it aver a charcoal fire, and rubbing it with a cloth 'till it is cold.

To make the best red soft wax.
Take white beet-wax two pounds, Chio turpentine six ounces, oil of olive six ounces, mix and melt them together, then add pure vermilion well-ground two ounces, mix and boil them; little, stir them 'till almost cold, cast it into cold water, md then make it up into rolls or cakes.

To make black soft wax.
Take beet-wax one pound, turpentine three ounces, oil-olive one ounce, mix and melt them together; to which mix black earth, or lamp-black, or ivory-black finely ground, one ounce, mix and melt, &c. as before.

To make coarse hard sealing wax.
Take shell-lac six ounces, rosin six ounces, fine vermilion three ounces; melt and mix them together, and when in a due stare as to heat and cold, make them up into sticks or rolls, which you may set a gloss upon as before directed.

To make fine hard sealing wax of other colours.
Green sealing-wax is made after the same manner, and in the same proportions as fine hard red sealing wax, by mixing with the ingredients verdegrease instead of vermilion.

Blue sealing-wax is also made after the same manner, by putting in fine blue smalt or ultramarine.

Purple sealing-wax is so made, by putting in vermilion mixt with ivory-black, or lamp-black.


Black, hard, coarse sealing-wax, is made with ivory-black.

To make yellow sealing-wax.
This is done as the rest, with finely-ground auripigmentum, or yellow masticote.

To make green soft wax.
Take bees-wax one pound, turpentine 3 ounces, oil-olive one ounce; mix and melt them, then add fine verdegrease one ounce; mix, and make the wax up, as the others.

To make yellow soft wax.
Take yellow bees-wax one pound, turpentine 3 ounces, oil-olive one ounce; mix and melt them, then add gambooge in fine powder 2 ounces, auripigmentum finely ground one ounce 1 mix, and make the wax as before.

To make perfum'd soft wax.
This is done by mixing ten ounces of any of the former com positions, oil of rhodium a drachm, musk in powder a scruple, civet half a scruple, mixing them well.

After the same manner you may make soft wax of all colours, having what scent you please, by mixing the perfume you would have either with the oil of olive before-hand, or else by working it into the composition of the wax after it is made.

To make golden or transparent wax.
Take four ounces of clarified rosin, two ounces of turpentine, four ounces of bees-wax, and two ounces of olive oil; melt them well together, and scatter in the melting disorder'd or shatter'd leaf-gold, and suffer it to mix or incorporate; then polish it over when made into sticks, &c. and the gold will appear.

Dictionarium polygraphicum. Wax.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
WAX is a soft, yellowish matter, whereof the bees form their cells to receive their honey.

Wax is not the excrement of the bee, as the ancients and many of the moderns have imagined.

It is properly a juice exuding out of the leaves of plants, and adhering to the surface of them; from off which the bees scrape it with their rough thighs, to build their combs with it.

It is chiefly afforded by lavender and rosemary; from which last anyone may gather wax, and by the help of a microscope, the wax may be plainly seen sticking to the leaves of the plant.

Naturalists have generally imagin'd, that wax is gather'd from the flower; some from the Petala, and others from the apices: but Boerhaave affirms, that it is a juice peculiar to the leaves, and not afforded by the flowers, which only yield honey.

The wax is a hard substance, and gathered only with the forelegs and chaps; convey'd thence to the middle legs, and thence to the middle joint of the hind legs, where there is a small cavity, like the bowl of a spoon, to receive it, and where it is collected into heaps, of the shape and size of lentils.

When the bee is arriv'd ac his hive with his load of wax, it finds some difficulty in unburthening himself of so tenacious a matter; and frequently being unable to lay it down himseif, he calls for assistance by a particular motion of his legs and wings: whereupon a number of his companions immediately run to his help, and each with his jaws taking off a small quantity of the wax, others succeeding in their place, 'till they have quite disburthened their loaden fellow.

There are two kinds of wax, white and yellow; the yellow is the native wax, just as it comes out of the hive, after it has been discharg'd of the honey, &c. and the white is the seme wax, only purified, wash'd, and expos'd to the air.



The preparation of yellow Wax.

To procure the wax from the combs for use, after the ho ney has been separated from it, all the matter that remains is put into a large kettle, with a sufficient quantity of water; and it being melted by a moderate fire, it is strained through a linnen cloth in a press; and before it is cold, it is scumm'd with a tile, or a piece of wet wood; and while it is yet wartn, cast in wooden, earthen, or metalline moulds, they having been first anointed with honey, oil, or water, to prevent the wax from sticking to them.

Some in purifying it make use of Roman vitriol, or copperas; but the true secret is to melt, scum it, &c. properly without any ingredients at all.

The fæces, or dregs remaining in the bag, after the bag has been press'd out, is us'd by surgeons, farriers, &c.



The whitening of wax.

This whitening, or blanching of wax, is perform'd by reducing the yellow sort first into little bits or grains, which is done by melting it, and casting it, while hot, into cold water; or else by spreading it into very thin leaves or skins.

This wax, having been thus granulated or flatted, is expos'd to the air on linnen cloths; where it lies night and day, having equally need of sun and dew.

Then it is mekedand granulated over again several times, laying it out to the air in the inrervals between the meltings.

At length the sun and dew having perfectly blanch'd it, it is melted for the last time in a large kettle; and laded out of the kettle with a ladle, upon a table covered over with little round dents or cavities, of the form of the cakes of white wax, usually sold in apothecary's shops; those moulds having been first wet ted with cold water, that the wax may be got off the easier.

Lastly, they lay these cakes out into the air for two days and two nights, to render it the more transparent, and drier.

This wax is us'd in making candles, tapers, flambeaux, torches, and for various other purposes.


Yellow wax is made soft with turpentine, yet retains its natural colour.

Red Wax is only the white melted with turpentine, and made red with vermilion, or orcanette.

Burnt paper, or lamp-black, makes it black, and verdigrease makes it green.

Some travellers inform us, that there is a natural black wax; affirming, that there are bees both in the East and West-Indies, which make an excellent honey, included in black cells. And that of this wax it is, that the Indians make those little vases, wherein they gather their balsam of Tolu.

Virgin Wax, call'd also Propolis, is a sort of reddish wax us'd by the bees to stop up the clefts or holes of their hives. It is apply'd, just as it is taken out of the hive, without any art or preparation of boiling, &c. it is the most tenacious of any, and is held good for the nerves.

Sealing wax, Spanish wax Is a composition of gum lacca, melted and prepar'd with rosin and chalk, and coloured red with ground cinnabar.