A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c12.t5.56

v1.c12.t5.56

(1) Lead and brass (see below) are said to emit an offensive odour. In connection with this it is interesting to read Professor W. E. Ayrton's address "On the Smell of Metals"—Brit. Assoc. Rep. 1898, p. 772. Cf. also "Alch. Syr." Trad., 121, as well as the opening lines of the present Book describing tin and lead "as metals of fœtid odour." In the Syrian Alchemy "Silver is distinguished from tin by its absence of fœtid odour"; regarding this M, Berthelot very pointedly remarks: "on voit que l'odeur propre que dégagent les mémaux frottés avec la main, ou bien au contact d'une matière organique, jouait un rôle important dans leur étude chez les anciens auteurs; importance que cette odeur a perdue aujourd'hui."—"La Chimie au moyen âge": T. ii. 121 (trad.)