Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c44.s6.31

v2.c44.s6.31

In the twelfth century AD, Somadeva culled his materials for *Rasendracūḍāmaṇi* from the pre-existing chemical treatises. He mentioned an alloy made of copper, tin, zinc and lead. Lead and tin metals when ‘killed’ were known as *capala* (quick-flowing), because on heating, these ‘resurrect’ quick-flowing or low-melting metals. Somadeva mentioned antimony as a metal (*varaṇāga*-lead like) and its preparation: