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History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c30.s1: Silver

History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c30.s1

Language
English

Silver

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Silver is of three kinds: namely *sahajam* (of mythical origin), begotten of mines, and artificial. 22

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Silver melted with lead and borax undergoes purification Arrange on an earthen dish a mixture of lime and ashes in a circular row and place in it silver with its equal weight of lead. Now roast it over fire until the lead is consumed Silver thus purified is to be used for medicinal purposes. 32-34

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(The process is practically that of cupellation).

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Silver-leaf is to be rubbed with mercury and the juice of *Artocarpus lakoocha* and is to be embedded in sulphur and heated in a covered crucible over a sand-bath; when cold, the mass is once more rubbed with orpiment and acids and roasted twelve times. By this process, the silver is reduced to ashes 35-37

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Silver is reduced to ashes by being three times rubbed with powdered iron pyrites and lemon-juice, and roasted in a covered crucible. 38

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Take four parts of silver-leaf and one of orpiment, rub them with the juice of lemon, and roast the mixture and repeat the operation fourteen times, and thus silver is completely incinerated.

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In the processes described above silver is converted into its sulphide.

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COPPER

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There are two varieties of copper: the one brought from Nepal is of superior quality; that dug out of mines of other countries is designated *mlechchha* 44
(Mlechchha is a generic name for a barbarian or a foreigner )
Copper-leaf is killed by being rubbed with lemon-juice, sulphur and mercury and roasted thrice (sulphide of copper). 55

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IRON

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There are three kinds of iron: namely, *mundam* (wrought iron), *tikshnam* and *kantam*, *mundam* again is of three varieties: viz *mridu*, *kuntham* and *kadaram*. 70
That, which easily melts, does not break and is glossy, is *mridu*; that, which expands with difficulty when struck with a hammer, is known as *kuntham*, that, which breaks when struck with a hammer and has a black fracture, is *kadaram*. 71-72
*Tikshnam* (cast iron, steel):—There are six varieties of it. One variety is rough and free from hair-like lines and has a quicksilver-like fracture and breaks when bent Another variety breaks with difficulty and presents a sharp edge 75-78
*Kantam*—There are five kinds of it, namely, *bhramaka*, *chumbaka*, *karshaka*, *dravaka* and *romakanta* It possesses one, two, three, four and five faces and often many faces (with which to attract iron) and is of yellow, black and red colour respectively. The variety, which makes all kinds of iron move about, is called *bhramaka*; that which kisses iron is called *chumbaka*; that which attracts iron is called *karshaka*; that which at once melts the iron is called *dravaka* (lit. a solvent); and the fifth kind is that which, when broken, shoots forth hair-like filaments. 84-89
Mercury is like an intoxicated elephant and *kantam* is like the bent hook wherewith to restrain it. The wise man

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digs it out of the mines. That which has remained exposed to the sun and the atmosphere is to be avoided. 92-93

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(Couplets 84-93 are taken bodily from Rasarnava.)

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If water is kept in a vessel and oil poured over it, and the oil does not spread about; if asafoetida gives up its odour, and decoction of *neem* (*Azadirachta indica*) its bitterness, and milk, being boiled in it, does not overflow but rises high like a peak — if such be the characteristics of the vessel, know that it is made of *kanta* iron. 94

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Powdered iron is to be macerated awhile in the decoction of the three myrobalans, in cow's urine, and then to be mixed up with clarified butter and fried in an earthen vessel and stirred with an iron rod until a blade of straw, thrown over it, catches fire. The iron powder is to be pounded and the above process repeated five times. Or, iron is roasted four times in a covered crucible with the decoction of the myrobalans and is reduced to fine powder. 104-105

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(The process is practically identical with that described by Chakrapani.)

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Leaves of *tikshna* iron are repeatedly to be heated and plunged into water and then to be powdered in a stone mortar with an iron pestle * * *. The powder of iron thus obtained is to be roasted twenty times in a covered crucible in combination with mercury and sulphur, and after each roasting the powder of iron is to be pounded as directed above—iron thus reduced to ashes is to be used in medicine. 107-110

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Take one part of iron and twentieth part of its weight of cinnabar, rub them with lemon-juice and sour gruel, and roast the mixture in a covered crucible. The operation being repeated forty times, *kantam*, *tikshnam* and *mundam* are killed,—of this there is no doubt. 113-114

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Take one part of mercury, sulphur two parts and iron powder three parts, and rub them with the juice of the Indian aloe, and after six hours transfer the mass to a brass vessel and cover it with the leaves of the castor-oil plant. At the end of an hour and a half the mass will become heated It is then buried under a heap of paddy grains and taken out after three days and then powdered very fine, and the contents passed through linen. All the three varieties of iron are thus completely killed Gold and other metals can be killed by this process after being reduced to fine powder like iron. 134-137

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Rust of iron is to be heated and powdered till it is reduced to fine powder—this is called *mandura*. 147

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The qualities which reside in killed iron are also to be found in the rust of iron, hence the latter may be substituted for the treatment of diseases.

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