[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Science, technology and education](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science) › [A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902) › v1.c2 # A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c2: Preface to the First Edition A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v1.c2 - **Language:** English ### Preface to the First Edition ### [v1.c2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.1) Since the days of Sir W. Jones, Sanskrit literature, in almost every department, has been zealously ransacked by scholars, both European and Indian. As the results of their labours we are now in possession of ample facts and data, which enable us to from some idea of the knowledge of the Hindus of old in the fields of Philosophy and Mathematics including Astronomy, Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry and Geometry. Even Medicine has received some share of attention. Wilson in a series of essays published in the \*Oriental Magazine\* (1823), Royle in his \*Antiquity of Hindu Medicne\* (1837), and Wise in his commentary on the \*Hindu System of Medicine\* (1845), were amongst the first to bring to the notice of the European world the contents of the ancient medical works of the Hindus, and recently the Thakur Sahib of Gondal has added his quota. These contributions are, however, of a fragmentary nature. A comprehensive history of Hindu medicine has yet to be written. ### [v1.c2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.2) Materia Medica has also found, in Udoy Chand Dutt, an able exponent. One branch has, however, up till this time, remained entirely neglected—namely, Chemistry. Indeed, it may be assumed that on accont of its complex and technical nature it has hitherto repelled investigators. ### [v1.c2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.3) The progress of chemical knowledge among the ancient nations has always had a fascination for me. The classical works of Thomson, Hoefer and Kopp have been my favourite companions for the last twelve years and more. In the course of my studies in this field I was naturally led to an inquiry into the exact position which India occupies therein, and with this view I undertook a systematic examination, from the chemical standpoint, of the Charaka, the Susruta and the various standard works of the Ayurvedic and Iatro-chemical Periods, which have escaped the ravages of time. It was at this stage that I was brought into communication with M. Berthelot some five years ago—a circumstance which has proved to be a turning-point, if I may so say, in my career as a student of the history of chemistry. The illustrious French savant, the \*Doyen\* of the chemical world, who has done more than any other person to clear up the sources and trace the progress of chemical science in the West, expressed a strong desire to know all about the contributions of the Hindus,\* and even went the length of making a personal appeal to me to help him with information on the subject. In response to his sacred call I submitted to him, in 1898, a short monograph on Indian alchemy; it was based chiefly on \*Rasendrasara Samgraha\*, a work which I have since then found to be of minor importance and not calculated to throw much light on the vexed question as to the origin of the Hindu Chemistry. M. Berthelot not only did me the honour of reviewing it at length† but very kindly presented me with a complete set of his monumental work, in three volumes, on the chemistry of the Middle Ages, dealing chiefly with the Arabic and Syrian contributions on the subject, the very existence of which I was not till then aware of. On perusing the contents of these works I was filled with the ambition of supplementing them with one on Hindu Chemistry. Although I have written all along under the inspiration of a mastermind, it is not for a moment pretended that my humble production will at all make an approach to the exemplar set before my eyes. ### [v1.c2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.4) ∗ “Cependant il serait nécessaire d’examiner certains documents qui m’ont été récemment signalés par une lettre de Rây, professeur à Presidency College (Calcutta). D’après ce savant, il existe des traités d’alchimie, écrits en sanscrit, remontant au XIIIe siècle, et qui renferment des préceptes pour préparer les sulfures de mercure noir et rouge et le calomel employés comme médicaments. Ces indications s’accordent avec celles des alchimistes arabes signalées plus haut. Il est à désirer que ces traités soient soumis à une étude approfondie, pour en déterminer l’origine, probablement attribuable à une tradition persane ou nestorienne.”—JOURNAL DES SAVANTS, Oct., 1897. ### [v1.c2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.5) † “Matériaux pour un chapitre négligé de l’histoire de la Chimie ou contributions à l’Alchimie indienne (Mémorie manuscrit de 43 pages), par Prafulla Chandra Rây, professeur à Presidency College, Calcutta,”—Vide JOURNAL DES SAVANTS, April 1898 ### [v1.c2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.6) When I first drew up the scheme of the present work, I had deluded myself with the hope of finishing the study of all the available literature on the subject before I took to writing. But I soon found that the task was one of vast magnitude. Some of my friends, whose judgment is entitled to weight, advised me under the circumstances, to curtail the scope of the work as originally planned out, and present a first instalment of it in its necessarily defective and imperfect shape (see Introduction, p. lxxxiv), reserving for a subsequent volume the working-up of the materials which are accumulating from time to time. In the present volume only one or two representative works of the Tanric and Iatro-chemical Periods have been noticed at length. ### [v1.c2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.7) As regards the transliteration, I have not rigidly adhered to any particular system, but, in the main, I have followed that of the \*Sacred Books of the East\*. ### [v1.c2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.8) Before concluding, I must acknowledge the valuable assistance I have received rom Pandit Navakānta Kavibhusana with whom I have toiled through many an obscure passage of the Mss. of the \*Tantras\*. His sound knowledge of the \*Ayurvedas\* has also been of much help to me. ### [v1.c2.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.9) And now it only remains for me to discharge the grateful duty of expressing my thanks to the Government of Bengal, which at the instance of Mr. Alexander Pedler, F. R. S., Director of Public Instruction, placed a liberal grant at my disposal to enable me to meet various incidental expences, chiefly in the matter of collecting rare Mss. ### [v1.c2.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2.10) PRESIDENCY COLLEGE : \*Calcutta, May 1st, 1902.\* } P. C. RAY. ## Linked texts (1) - [Rasendrasārasaṃgraha (Gopāla Kṛṣṇā)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.med.rasa.cikitsa.rasendrasarasamgraha) — Gopāla Kṛṣṇā 1800, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v1.c2) · Pramāṇa