red lead

Ingredients

red lead, sulfur

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Finely grind red lead and use it to write on pens. Dry the writing. Smoke the pens with sulfur in two clay pots. Wipe off the writing, which will appear black, leaving the rest of the pen white.

Evidence

"Take red lead and grind it finely [with a little red lead] $^{(1)}$ and write with it on the pens and dry them. Then smoke them with sulfur in two pots of good clay, then wipe the writing off the pens; the writing will come out black and the rest white."

Remarks

This recipe utilizes red lead for initial writing, which is then converted to a black compound through exposure to sulfur smoke. This creates a contrast between the black writing and the white background of the pen.