Notes and Queries, Number 208, October 22, 1853

As in all other processes, I find that the kind of paper made use of has a most important bearing upon the result. That which I find the best is of French manufacture, known as Canson Frères' (both the thin and the thick sorts), probably in consequence of their being sized with starch. The thin sort (the same as is generally used for waxed-paper negatives) takes the highest polish, but more readily embrowns after being rendered sensitive, and the lights are not ever quite so white as when the positive paper is used.

In order to save both time and labour, I prepare my papers in the largest sizes that circumstances will admit of, as it takes little or no more time to prepare and render sensitive a large sheet than a small one; and as I always apply the silver solution by means of the glass rod, I find that a half-sheet of Canson's paper (being seventeen inches by eleven inches the half-sheet) is the best size to operate on. If the whole sheet is used, it requires more than double the quantity of solution to ensure its being properly covered, which additional quantity is simply so much waste.

A most convenient holder for the paper whilst being operated upon, is one suggested by Mr. Horne of Newgate Street, and consists of a piece of half-inch Quebec yellow pine plank (a soft kind of deal), eleven inches by seventeen inches, screwed to a somewhat larger piece of the same kind, but with the grain of the wood at right angles to the upper piece, in order to preserve a perfectly flat surface. On to the upper piece is glued a covering of japanned-flannel, such as is used for covering tables, taking care to select for the purpose that which has no raised pattern, the imitation of rosewood or mahogany being unexceptionable on that account. The paper can be readily secured to the arrangement alluded to by means of a couple of pins, one at each of two opposite angles, the wood being sufficiently soft to admit of their ready penetration.

To prepare the Albumen.—Take the white of one egg; this dissolve in one ounce of distilled water, two grains of chloride of sodium (common salt), and two grains of grape sugar; mix with the egg, whip the whole to froth, and allow it to stand until it again liquefies. The object of this operation is to thoroughly incorporate the ingredients, and render the whole as homogeneous as possible.

A variety in the resulting tone is produced by using ten grains of sugar of milk instead of the grape sugar.

The albumen mixture is then laid on to the paper by means of a flat camel's-hair brush, about three inches broad, the mixture being first poured into a cheese plate, or other flat vessel, and all froth and bubbles carefully removed from the surface. Four longitudinal strokes with such a brush, if properly done, will cover the whole half-sheet of paper with an even thin film; but in case there are any lines formed, the brush may be passed very lightly over it again in a direction at right angles to the preceding. The papers should then be allowed to remain on a perfectly level surface until nearly dry, when they may be suspended for a few minutes before the fire, to complete the operation. In this condition the glass is but moderate, and as is generally used; but if, after the first drying before the fire, the papers are again subjected to precisely the same process, the negative paper will shine like polished glass. That is coated again with the albumenizing mixture, and dried as before.

One egg, with the ounce of water, &c., is enough to cover five half-sheets with two layers, or five whole sheets with one.

I rarely iron my papers, as I do not find any advantage therein, because the moment the silver solution is applied the albumen becomes coagulated, and I cannot discover the slightest difference in the final result, except that when the papers are ironed I sometimes find flaws and spots occur from some carelessness in the ironing process.

If the albumenized paper is intended to be kept for any long time before use, the ironing may be useful as a protection against moisture, provided the iron be sufficiently hot; but the temperature ought to be considerable.

To render the paper sensitive, I use a hundred-grain solution of nitrate of silver, of which forty-five minims will exactly cover the sheet of seventeen inches by eleven inches, if laid on with the glass rod. A weaker solution will do, but with the above splendid tints may be produced. As to the ammonio-nitrate of silver, I have totally abandoned its use, and, after many careful experiments, I am satisfied that its extra sensitiveness is a delusion, while the rapid tendency of paper prepared with it to spoil is increased tenfold.

The fixing, of course, modifies considerably the tone of the proof, but almost any desired shade may be attained by following the plan of Mr. F. M. Lyte, published in "N. & Q.," provided the negative is sufficiently intense to admit of a considerable degree of over-printing.

It is a fact which appears to be entirely overlooked by many operators, that the intensity of the negative is the chief agent in conducing to black tones in the positive proof; and it is almost impossible to produce them if the negative is poor and weak: and the same observation applies to a negative that has been over-exposed.

    Geo. Shadbolt.

Cement for Glass Baths.—The best I have tried is Canada balsam. My baths I have had in use five years, and have used them for exciting, developing hypo. and cyanide, and are as good as when first used.

    Noxid.

New Process for Positive Proofs.—I have tried a method of preparing my paper for positive proofs, which, as I have not seen it mentioned as employed by others, and the results appear to me very satisfactory, I am induced to communicate to you, and to accompany by some specimens, which will enable you to judge of the amount of success.

I use a glass cylinder, with air-pump attached, such as that described by Mr. Stewart as employed by him for iodizing his paper. I put in this the salt solution, and that I use is thus composed: 2 drachms of sugar of milk, dissolved in 20 ounces of water, adding—

Chloride of barium 15 grs.
Chloride of sodium 15 grs.
Chloride of ammonium 15 grs.

In this I plunge several sheets of paper rolled into a coil (taking care that they are covered by the solution), and exhaust the air. I leave them thus for a few minutes, then take them out and hang them up to dry; or as the sheets are rather difficult to pin, from the paper giving way, spread them on a frame, across which any common kind of coarse muslin or tarletan, such as that I inclose, is stretched.

I excite with ammonio-nitrate of silver, 30 grains to 1 ounce of water, applied with a flat brush.

I fix in a bath of plain hypo. of the strength of one-sixth. The bath in which the inclosed specimens were fixed has been in use for some little time, and therefore has acquired chloride of silver.

I previously prepared my paper by brushing it with the same salt solution, and the difference of effect produced may be seen by comparing a proof so obtained, which I inclose, with the others. This latter is of rather a reddish-brown, and not very agreeable tint. I have inclosed the proofs as printed on paper of Whatman, Turner, and Canson Frères, so as to show the effect in each case. The advantages which the mode I have detailed possesses are, I think, these:

Greater sensitiveness in the paper,

A good black tint, and

Greater freedom from spots and blemishes, all very material merits.

    C. E. F.

[Our Correspondent has forwarded five specimens, four of which are certainly very satisfactory, the fifth is the one prepared by brushing.]

Replies to Minor Queries

The Groaning Elm-plank in Dublin (Vol. viii., p. 309.).—Dr. Rimbault has given an account of the groaning-board, one of the popular delusions of two centuries ago: the following notice of it, extracted from my memoir of Sir Thomas Molyneux, Bart., M.D., and published in the Dublin University for September, 1841, may interest your readers:

"In one of William Molyneux's communications he mentions the exhibition of 'the groaning elm-plank' in Dublin, a curiosity that attracted much attention and many learned speculations about the years 1682 and 1683. He was, however, too much of a philosopher to be gulled with the rest of the people who witnessed this so-called 'sensible elm-plank,' which is said to have groaned and trembled on the application of a hot iron to one end of it. After explaining the probable cause of the noise and tremulousness by its form and condition, and by the sap being made to pass up through the pores or tubuli of the plank which was in some particular condition, he says: 'But, Tom, the generality of mankind is lazy and unthoughtful, and will not trouble themselves to think of the reason of a thing: when they have a brief way of explaining anything that is strange by saying, "The devil's in it," what need they trouble their heads about pores, and matters, and motion, figure, and disposition, when the devil and a witch shall solve the phenomena of nature.'"

    W. R. Wilde.

Passage in Whiston (Vol. viii., p. 244.).—J. T. complains of not being able to find a passage in Whiston, which he says is referred to in p. 94. of Taylor on Original Sin, Lond. 1746. I do not know what Taylor he refers to. Jeremy Taylor wrote a treatise on original sin; but he lived before Whiston. I have looked into two editions of the Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin, by John Taylor, one of Lond. 1741, and another of Lond. 1750; but in neither of these can I find any mention of Mr. Whiston.

    Ἁλιεύς.

Dublin.

"When Orpheus went down" (Vol. viii., pp. 196. 281.).—In addition to the information given upon this old song by Mr. Oldenshaw, I beg to add the following. It was written for and sung by Mr. Beard, in a pantomimic entertainment entitled Orpheus and Euridice, acted at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1740. The author of the entertainment was Mr. Henry Sommer, but the song in question was "translated from the Spanish" by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Lisle, who died Rector of Burclere, Hants, 1767. It was long very popular, and is found in almost all the song-books of the latter half of the last century. Mr. Park, the editor of the last edition of Ritson's English Songs (vol. ii. p. 153.), has the following note upon this song:

"An answer to this has been written in the way of echo, and in defence of the fair sex, whom the Spanish author treated with such libellous sarcasm."

As this "echo song" is not given by Ritson or his editor, I have transcribed it from a broadside in my collection. It is said to have been written by a lady.

"When Orpheus went down to the regions below,
To bring back the wife that he lov'd,
Old Pluto, confounded, as histories show,
To find that his music so mov'd:
That a woman so good, so virtuous, and fair,
Should be by a man thus trepann'd,
To give up her freedom for sorrow and care,
He own'd she deserv'd to be damn'd.

"For punishment he never study'd a whit,
The torments of hell had not pain
Sufficient to curse her; so Pluto thought fit
Her husband should have her again.
But soon he compassion'd the woman's hard fate,
And, knowing of mankind so well,
He recall'd her again, before 'twas too late,
And said, she'd be happier in hell."

    Edward F. Rimbault.
Foreign Medical Education (Vol. viii., p. 341.).—Your correspondent Medicus will find some information respecting some of the foreign universities in the Lancet for 1849, and the Medical Times and Gazette for 1852. For France he will find all he wants in Dr. Roubaud's Annuaire Médical et Pharmaceutique de la France, published by Baillière, 219. Regent Street.

    M. D.