Iron in Ancient India c7.s7.1

c7.s7.1

We have already referred to the *ayaskriti* of iron mentioned in the *Uttartantra* of the Shushruta in which iron is heated with the "salts" including common salt. A mixture of ferrous chloride and oxychloride and oxide of iron is probably formed in this reaction. The five kinds of salts are sauvarchala (probably nitre), saindhaba (rock salt), vit (a kind of common salt), audbhida (alkali carbonate) and sāmudra (sea-salt).