A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.173

v2.c34.173

A substance is an aggregate of the former kind, and may be divided into two classes, (1) the Bhútas and their ‘isomeric’ modifications ( भूत, भूतभेद and भूतविकार ); and (2) chemical compounds ( मिलितद्रव्य, संहतभूतार्थ ). Chemical compounds again may be subdivided into two classes, (1) those composed of atoms of the same Bhúta class, *i.e.* of different isomeric modifications of the same Bhúta, and (2) those composed of atoms of different Bhúta classes. In the first case, there is contact between ‘isomeric’ atoms ( सजातीय-संयोग ), in the second case between heterogeneous or ‘polymeric’ atoms ( विजातीय-संयोग ). The first contact leads to intimate union ( सङ्गः,—सङ्ख्याः यः संयोगविशेषः तेनैव द्रव्याणां विकारो भवति—विज्ञानभिक्षु प्रवचनभाष्य ): the isomeric atoms by a peculiar liberation of Energy ( सजातियोपष्टम्भ—the action of similars on similars ) are attracted towards one another, and being riveted as it were, form the so-called material cause ( उपादान कारण ) of the compound product. The second kind of contact ( that between unlike or ‘polymeric’ atoms of heterogeneous Bhútas ) begins with a liberation of Energy ( उपष्टम्भ ), which breaks up each of the Bhútas, and taking particles ( or atoms ) of one as nuclei or radicles groups particles of the rest round these radicles in a comparatively free or unattached condition. In this case, one Bhúta, that which serves to furnish the radicles, not necessarily that which is numerically or quantitatively predominant, gets the name of material cause ( उपादान कारण ), and the others, which by their collocation cause the liberation of Energy ( उपष्टम्भ, अवष्टम्भ or विष्टम्भ ).