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History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c16: Transitional Period

History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c16

Language
English

Contents

Transitional Period

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(*800 A D to Circa 1100 A D*)

Vrinda And Chakrapani

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We now come upon a period which represents a transition in the progress of Hindu medicine so far as the nature and composition of substances used as drugs are concerned. Hitherto herbs and vegetable matters were largely employed as drugs with a few simple and readily available products of the mineral kingdom. From about the beginning of this period and even since the days of Vagbhata we find an increasing use of metallic preparations From the tenth century and downwards every medical work is found more or less recommending compounds of metals which can only be synthetically prepared.

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Two notable treatises of this period are the *Siddhayoga* of Vrinda and Chakradatta of Chakrapani Dutta. Synthetic metallic preparations have received considerable attention in these treatises Both Vrinda and Chakrapani mention Nagarjuna as an authority, and follow closely in the footsteps of Charaka, Susruta and Vagbhata. Nagarjuna is the most conspicuous figure in Indian alchemy and a detailed account of his work will be given hereafter. Influences of the Tantric Cult are also manifest in the writings of Vrinda and Chakrapani.

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Chakrapani bases his work on that of Vrinda who again follows closely the order and the pathology of the Nidana of Madhavacharya or Madhavakara. Chakrapani, himself a learned commentator of the Charaka and the Susruta, wrote his work in 1050 A.D It necessarily follows that Vrinda was a recognised authority at least before the time of Chakrapani and was preceded by Madhavakara who possibly flourished in the 8th century A.D.; for, Nidana was one of the medical treatises translated by the order of the Caliphs in the 8th century A.D. D. C. Bhattacharyya, on the basis of recently gathered evidences, however, placed Madhavakara sometime between 900 and 925 A.D. and Vrinda, between 975 and 1000 A.D.

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Chemistry in the Siddhayoga of Vrinda

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Mercury has been mentioned as a constituent of a medicine to be applied externally for killing lice. The instruction for the preparation of this medicine is to rub quicksilver with the juice of *Dhatura metel* or *Piper betle*.

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The use of copper compounds has been prescribed in the preparation of a collyrium. Killed copper and blue vitriol, rock salt and many other vegetable matter, all in the powdered form, are compounded together for making this collyrium.

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This very preparation, in identical recension, occurs in Chakrapani under the name of *Nagarjuna Varti*.

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A process of killing iron has been described by Vrinda. For this purpose, iron is to be first ignited in the fire and then macerated in the juice of the emblic myrobalan and *Trewia nudiflora* and exposed to the sun, and again to be macerated in the juice of certain other plants and then to be rubbed in a mortar. The process obviously gives rise to oxides of iron.

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A preparation known as *parpati-tamram* has been described as follows. Sulphur, copper and the pyrites are to be pounded together with mercury and subjected to roasting in a closed crucible, and the product thus obtained to be administered with honey. Sulphides of copper and mercury are obviously produced by this operation.

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Sulphide of mercury constitutes the main ingredient of another preparation called *rasamrita churnam*. For this, one part of sulphur and half its weight of mercury are to be rubbed together. This is to be administered with honey and clarified butter.

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Chemistry in Chakrapani

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Chakrapani, in his treatise, has described a number of metallic preparations, of which mention may be made of the following.

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*Black Sulphide of Mercury (kajjali) or Aethiop's Mineral*

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The first process consists in the purification of mercury.

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"Quicksilver, rubbed repeatedly in the juice expressed from *Sesbania aculeata*, *Ricinus communis*, *Zingiber officinale* and *Solanum nigrum*, becomes purified".

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"Take one part of mercury and one part of sulphur, rub the two together in a mortar and thus prepare *kajjali* or *rasaparpati*." Vrinda has also described a similar preparation under the name of *rasamrita churnam* (*cf.* Chap. I).

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*Tamrayoga (Copper Compound)*

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"Take a thin leaf of Nepalese copper and embed it in powdered sulphur. The substances are to be placed inside a saucer-shaped earthenware vessel and covered with another. The rims are luted with sugar or powdered rice-paste. The apparatus is heated in a sand-bath for three hours. The copper thus prepared is pounded and administered with other drugs."

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The product of the reaction is obviously a sulphide of copper.

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*Process of Killing Iron*

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Chakrapani writes "I shall now describe the science of iron promulgated by the sage Nagarjuna." The work of Nagarjuna will be described along with the treatises of the Tantric Period.

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The process of killing iron described by Chakrapani consists in rubbing a bar of iron with the levigated powder of various vegetable products like belleric myrobalans, *Clitoria ternatea*, *Vitis quadrangularis*, etc. It is then strongly heated to the fusion point and plunged into the decoction of the myrobalans. The iron is then powdered by being beaten with an iron hammer. The powder is then digested in the decoction of the myrobalans and roasted repeatedly in a crucible. The final product resulting from these operations is evidently an oxide of iron in a finely divided state.

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Mandura or Rust of Iron

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Rust of iron is prescribed in combination with other drugs.

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Recipe for a soap to be used as a depilatory has been given by Chakrapani as follows:

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The ashes of *Schrebera swietenioides* and *Cassia fistula* are to be mixed with lime from burnt shells and lixiviated with the urine of the ass. The lye is then to be boiled with a definite weight of mustard oil.

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The plant ashes, composed mainly of potash carbonate, on treatment with lime invariably produced caustic alkali. The latter, when boiled with mustard oil, gave rise to a potash soap.

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Chakrapani has described the preparation of caustic alkali, the process being practically identical with that given in the Susruta.

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Calx of Silver

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In a preparation named *yogaraja*, *roupyamal* or calx of silver (probably in the shape of sulphide) figures as a component.

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1\. Vrinda : Edition published by the Ananda Sarma Press, Poona, 1891.

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2\. Do : Kashmir manuscript.

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3\. A. F. R. Hoernle : *Studies in Ancient Indian Medicine*, J. Royal Asiatic Soc., 1906.

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4\. M. Winternitz • *Geschichte der indischen Literatur*, Vol. 3, 1922. 550

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5\. D. C. Bhattacharyya : *New Light on Vaidyaka Literature*, *The Indian Historical Quarterly*, Vol. 23, 1947, 123.

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