The VMS ink is NOT iron-gall

[oshfdk]

And is there a test that would beyond reasonable doubt confirm to you that some writing is not iron-gall ink?  When it is you who define "reasonable doubt"?  

If I define reasonable doubt, then a single undisputed expert opinion by a lab that has experience in analyzing artifacts like that would suffice. As far as I'm concerned McCrone's conclusions remain undisputed so far, and would likewise have remained undisputed if they have called it not iron gall in the first place, unless another lab runs their own tests and casts doubts on the conclusions of McCrone's.

Another "slightly destructive" test is simply to try to wash off some of the writing by rubbing with a wet Q-tip.  Iron-gall should not budge, while ochre or sienna (or any of the colored paints and inks) should soften and come off almost completely.  (And I am confident that the VMS ink is not iron-gall because this test has already been made by accident, e.g. on f103r.)

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is not a wet qtip but some substance possibly acidic and hot (assuming some stew), which penetrated the page and which is also very close in color to the actual ink. A very good test happened on f103v, where this substance obviously sipped through to leave a mark on f104r, but didn't visibly disturb the ink.