A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c15.s1: Calamine
A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c15.s1
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Calamine
v1.c15.s1.1
It will be seen Gladwin's rendering of *Ain-i-Akbari* is not very reliable; it may, however, be noted here that even Blochmann in his much improved and more accurate translation erroneously renders *jost* as "pewter."¹ The *rúh i tútia* (spirits of tutia) is used in the above extract in the same sense as in *Rasārnava*, which describes zinc as the *svattam* (essence) of *rasaka* (see p. 71). In R. R. S. also we find that blue vitriol yields a "*svattam*," which is no other than copper² (p. 86).
v1.c15.s1.2
¹ Vol. I. p. 40.
v1.c15.s1.3
² The "essence or spirits of minerals" is used here in a different sense from that of the generality of the Arabian and European alchemists. According to the latter there are four spirits of minerals, namely, sulphur, arsenic, sal-ammoniac and mercury. "Les mots esprits, corps, ames, sont fréquemment employés par les alchimistes dans un sens spécial, qu'il importe de connaître pour l' intelligence de leurs écrits. Les passages suivants, quoique d'une époque plus moderne, jettent beaucoup de lumière sur ce point."
Linked texts (1)
- Rasārṇava — Sanskrit