[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) › v2.c34.221 # A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.221 A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.221 - **Language:** English ### [v2.c34.221](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v2.c34.221) Chemical compositions and decompositions—metallurgic processes.—In these writings, we frequently come across instances of chemical composition and decomposition, by processes, more or less crude, of calcination, distillation, sublimation, steaming, fixation, etc. ( भस्मीकरण, अध:पातन, ऊर्ध्वपातन, स्वेदन, स्तम्भन etc. ) e. g. the preparation of perchloride of mercury by taking common salt and mercury ( र सकपूर—पारदस्य श्वेत-भस्मीकरणे चन्द्रकाकार: ); of sulphide of mercury ( हिङ्गुल ) by taking sulphur and mercury; of Sindúra from lead ( सिन्दूरं नागसम्भवम् — Amara-kosha ) ;—of the medicinal compounds, Svarna-sindúra and Rasasindúra, with mercury, sulphur and gold, where gold may have been fancied to influence the resulting compound in some mysterious way, either as a ‘dynamic’ or as a catalytic ;—also the extraction by chemical decomposition of mercury from sulphide of mercury ( हिङ्गुल, —vide रसरत्नसमुच्चय ); of copper from sulphate of copper ( तुत्थ, सस्यक ) by heating this substance with one-fourth of its weight of borax ( Rasaratna-samuchchaya,—cf. Bhávaprakása, तुत्थ - [Previous: v2.c34.220](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v2.c34.220) - [Next: v2.c34.222](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v2.c34.222) - [Up: v2.c34](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v2.c34) ## Cites (3) - [Rasaratnasamuccaya](https://indike.org/pramana/in.med.rasa.samuccaya.pramukha.rasaratnasamuccaya) — Vāgbhaṭa (alchemist), Sanskrit - [Bhāvaprakāśa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.med.sangraha.laghutrayi.bhavaprakasa) — Bhāvamiśra 1550, Sanskrit - [Nāmaliṅgānuśāsana (Amarakośa)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.art.kosa.paryaya.amarakosa*bo) — Classical Tibetan --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v2.c34.221](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1902.v2.c34.221) · Pramāṇa