A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c43.s29.91.3

v3.c43.s29.91.3

Procedures leading to the purification and killing of these substances are described (54cd–76ab), followed by the procedure aiming at the release of the essence of the metals (and upadhātus), the so-called sattvanirgama (76cd–78). The third part of this chapter is concerned with the purification and killing of some (semi)precious stones (79–92ab). It ends with the purification of bitumen (śilājatu; 92cd–99ab), the preparation of rust of iron (maṇḍūra; 99cd–101ab) and finally caustics (kṣāra; 101cd–104). (12) The rasakalpanā chapter mainly deals with mercurial preparations. It opens with a verse in praise of mercury (1), mentions its synonyms (2) and enumerates nine metals (3–4ab), i.e., the seven metals mentioned in chapter eleven, together with bell-metal (kāṃsyaka) and magnetic oxide of iron (kāntaloha). This is followed by the purification of mercury (4cd–13ab), sulphur (gandhaka; 13cd–15ab) and cinnabar (darada; 15cd–16ab), and the extraction of mercury from the last substance of these three (16cd–17). The nine poisons and seven secondary poisons are enumerated (18–20ab), and the so-called mukhakaraṇa of mercury is dealt with, which consists of procedures rendering it capable of ‘eating’ other substances (20cd–24); after this mukhakaraṇa it is called chinnapakṣa, which means that it is now regarded as a bird whose wings have been clipped.