A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c12.t4.20

v1.c12.t4.20

Take asafœtida, the five salts, the three alkalies, *rumex vesicarius*, sal ammoniac, the ripe fruit of the croton plant, jālāmukhi (*anthericum tuberosum*), rudanti (*asclepias rosea*), the root of *plumbago zeylanica*, and the milky juice of *euphorbia antiquorum* and *calotropis gigantea*—rub all these together and make them into a ball. Place inside it the noble and luck-yielding gems. Wrap the ball with the leaves of betula bhojpatra and tie them with thread and enclose the ball again in a piece of cloth and suspend it in a dolāyantra (see Bk. IX) filled with the acids and sour gruel and apply strong heat for three days and nights—the liquid principle of the gems is thus collected. 64-69