A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c32.s16.13

v2.c32.s16.13

In the case of precious metals, however, adulteration was detected by an ingenious device, which may be regarded as a near approach to the principle of Archemedes. Suppose it is intended to test the purity of a specimen of gold. All that one has to do is to draw a wire of this gold and another of the standard gold through the self-same orifice [of corundum]. As these wires are of equal