The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c4.s12.3

c4.s12.3

Kharpara. This mineral is mentioned in most works. It enters into the composition of a number of prescriptions both for internal and external use. The article used under this name by the physicians of Upper India is a sort of calamine or zinc ore. Most of the physicians in Bengal are not acquainted with this ore, and substitute zinc for kharpara, that is, they consider kharpara as a mere synonym of zinc or yasada. They accordingly direct that kharpara should be reduced to powder by being melted over a fire and rubbed with rock salt. Zinc thus prepared is a fine yellowish grey powder consisting of carbonate of zinc mixed with chloride of sodium. In the works of the physicians of Upper India, this preparation is not described. There they use the zinc ore, which does not dissolve on the application of heat. It is simply purified by being boiled in cow's urine or soaked in lemon juice and then powdered. The Bengali physicians who substitute zinc for kharpara are evidently wrong, for the description of some of the preparations of this drug, as for example of the collyrium mentioned below, can not apply to metallic zinc.