A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c49.s2.60

v3.c49.s2.60

Chapter one (sāmānyavijñānīya) describes, after a maṅgala to Śiva and some introductory verses, the subjects of rasaśāstra, the teacher and his student, the laboratory (rasaśālā; 4–6), technical terms (paribhāṣā; 7–12), weights and measures (parimāṇa; 13–14), 118 the yantras (15–24), 119 and the puṭas (24–28). 120 Chapter two (rasavijñānīya) gives an account of mercury and its doṣas (29–35), its purification (36–37), the first eight saṃskāras (37–44), the preparation of mercury from cinnabar (44), jāraṇa and mūrchanā (44–46), the preparation of mugdharasa, rasapuṣpa and rasakarpūra (47–48), some formulae (49–56), 121 and some rules concerning the use of mercurial medicines (57–58). Chapter three (uparasavijñānīya) is about the mahārasas, their names, characteristics, purification, sometimes their killing, the properties and actions of the products obtained, their uses, dangers involved in their use, and the treatment of disorders caused by the use of impure products (59–84); the second part of the chapter (84–95) is devoted to a description of the uparasas, their purification and the neutralization of the effects of impurities; the third and last part is about the sādhāraṇarasas (95–105). Chapter four (dhātuvijñānīya; 106–130) is concerned with the dhātus, their purification, killing, and the medicinal properties of the products obtained. Chapter five (ratnoparatnavijñānīya; 131–177) gives a similar exposition on the ratnas, uparatnas and some other stones. Chapter six (viṣaviṣaviṣavijñānīya) describes the viṣas, their purification, and their uses in medicine (178–208); the second part of the chapter is about the upaviṣas (208–244) and animal poisons, their purification and their uses (245–248).