History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c36.s7.16

c36.s7.16

From the time of the Charaka and the Susruta we find metallic preparations in the shape of oxides, sulphides and sometimes chlorides, recommended for internal administration. The various formulas, which will be found scattered throughout above, give us methods for *killing* metals But a *killed* metal is not necessarily a compound; it sometimes means a metal deprived of its well-characterised physical properties, e g. colour, lustre, etc Thus the Ayurvedic *killed* gold and silver often represent the respective metals in a fine state of division. This is illustrated by the following recipe from Rasaratnakara by Nityanathia: