A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.232

v2.c34.232

Chemistry of Digestion—The food we eat contains five classes of penta-Bhautic organic compounds. From their radicles or predominant elements, the substances are named Earth-compounds, Ap-compounds, Tejas-compounds, Váyu-compounds and A'kása-compounds. The Earth-compounds supply the hard formed matter of the body, the Tejas-compounds give the animal heat (or the metabolic heat), the Váyu-compounds are the sources of the motor force in the organism, the Ap-compounds furnish the watery parts of the organic fluids, and the A'kása-compounds contribute to the finer etheric essence which is the vehicle of the conscious life. Roughly speaking, the Earth-compounds answer to the nitrogen compounds in the food, the Tejas-compounds to the hydro-carbons (heat-producing) and the Váyu-compounds to the carbo-hydrates (dynamic). The Ap-compounds are the watery parts of food and drink. The flesh, for example, is a tissue composed principally of the Earth-compounds, the fat of the Earth and Ap compounds, the bones of Earth, Váyu and Tejas compounds. For purposes of digestion it is stated that different operations of the metabolic heat (perhaps different digestive fluids are also meant) are required to digest the different substances in the food.