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History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c36.s6: Minerals

History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c36.s6

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English

Minerals

c36.s6.1

*Diamond* :—Belief in the combustibility of diamond and in its being *killed* or reduced to fine ashes, as has been already referred to (*cf.* Rasaratnasamuchchaya, Book IV. The Gems; p. 178), was an accepted creed with the Hindu Iatrochemists.

c36.s6.2

*Vaikranta*.—It is described to possess eight faces and six angles and to exhibit a great range of colours. This possibly refers to a mineral crystallizing in the octahedral form, viz., the family of spinels, or to one crystallizing in hexagonal prisms like corrundum. But neither of these minerals are liquefiable as stated in Rasaratnasamuchchaya (The Gems, loc cit.).

c36.s6.3

*Makshikam* (pyrites) :—Pyrites is of two kinds: golden and silvery; FeS₂ is brass yellow in colour, but there are other pyrites-like minerals which are silver-white; for instance, cobaltite, CoS₂.CoAs₂; lollingite, FeAs₂ (S); leucopyrite, Fe₃ As₄. Copper pyrites has a deep yellow colour.

c36.s6.4

*Gairika*.—Haematite, which is red and often hard, and limonite, which is yellow or brown; both occur in the form of ochres.

c36.s6.5

*Kankushtham* is produced at the foot of the Himalayas. It is of white and yellow colour, and is a strong purgative. Possibly an efflorescence of magnesium sulphate or sodium sulphate; both are not uncommon. The yellow colour might be due to admixture with ferruginous dirt.

c36.s6.6

*Vajram* :—The mention of 8 faces and 6 corners seems to suggest an octahedral crystal of diamond

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