[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Science, technology and education](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science) › [History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956) › c30.s3 # History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c30.s3: Lead History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c30.s3 - **Language:** English ### Lead ### [c30.s3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.1) \*Sîsakam\* is readily fusible, very heavy, presents a black and bright appearance on fracture, is of foetid odour and black exterior. 171 ### [c30.s3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.2) Take twenty palas of lead and apply strong heat to it, and drop into the molten metal one \*karsha\* of mercury and throw into it one after another the ashes of \*Terminalia arjuna\*, \*Terminalia belerica\*, pomegranate and \*Achyranthes aspera\*, weighing one pala each. The mass being vigorously stirred with an iron spoon for twenty nights in succession, the metal is calcined yielding a bright red ash. 176-179 ### [c30.s3.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.3) Leaves of lead are to be smeared with a paste of orpiment and the milky juice of \*Calotropis gigantea\* and roasted in a covered crucible till the metal is entirely killed. 184 ### [c30.s3.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.4) BRASS, BELL-METAL, ETC. ### [c30.s3.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.5) \*Pittala\* (brass) is of two kinds—\*ritika\* and \*kakatundi\*; the former on being heated and plunged into sour gruel turns copper-coloured. 192-193 ### [c30.s3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.6) Brass, which is heavy, soft, of yellow colour, capable of resisting strokes, is to be recommended. 195 ### [c30.s3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.7) Brass, which is light and of offensive odour, is not good for medicinal purposes. ### [c30.s3.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.8) Brass, smeared with a paste of lemon-juice, orpiment and sulphur and roasted eight times, is reduced to ashes. The process of killing brass is the same as that of copper. 201-202 ### [c30.s3.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.9) \*Kamsya\* (bell-metal) is made by melting together eight parts of copper and two parts of tin. 205 ### [c30.s3.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.10) It is completly killed by being roasted five times with sulphur and orpiment. 210 ### [c30.s3.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.11) \*Vartaloham\* is produced from \*kamsya\*, copper, \*pittala\*, iron and lead; hence it is regarded by metallurgists as an alloy of five metals... It is killed with the aid of sulphur and orpiment. 212-216 ### [c30.s3.12](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3.12) BOOK VI --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.ray-1956.c30.s3) · Pramāṇa