History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c17.28

c17.28

Tanjur, though a commentary of Kanjur, is twice as large as the former and consists generally of 225 large volumes. Some parts of Tanjur are believed to date back to the 7th century A.D., though the major portion was composed later. It is divided into two main classes: *Rgyud*, corresponding to the Sanskrit Tantra and *Mdo* or *Do*, corresponding to the Sanskrit *Sutra* (science and literature). Some five volumes of Tanjur are devoted to medicine and some others to astronomy or astrology. We are indebted to the great and heroic Hungarian scholar, Csoma de Koros for his pioneering work on the study of these two famous encyclopædic Tibetan scriptures (*Asiatic Reserch*, Vol. 20, Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, 1836). In his analysis of the contents of the *Mdo* Csoma has made mention of a work on preparing quicksilver, described as the most powerful agent for subduing every sickness and for improving the vigour of the body, as well as of a work on turning base metals into gold (i.e. on alchemy).