Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c45.s1.15

v2.c45.s1.15

Mercury used to be converted to oxide or sulphide or solid amalgam ‘in which fluidity was lost’ (naṣṭa piṣṭa). Viḍa was the treatment with kṣāra, amla, gandhaka, lavaṇa, etc. prior to grāsa or jārana, or amalgamation of metal with mercury (8.67, 8.84). Vedhana or transmutation of base metals to silver or gold was expected by pasting mercury (lepa vedha) on the base metal, or by putting mercury into the molten base metal (kṣepa vedha). Iatro-chemistry had not yet snapped its extravagant alchemical roots.