History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c37.65

c37.65

It is a common practice in every goldsmith's shop in India that the daily sweepings and other refuse of the rooms are never thrown away, but stored up carefully in one place The heap of rubbish and dust, thus accumulated from day to day, are finally sold to *neharwalas* (from *nehar*, which means sweepings). The heap of rejected earthen crucibles, employed for melting gold, is also sold to them. Sometimes the soot hanging from the ceiling and walls is also purchased. Even the dust collected by shaking the workmen's mats, as well as the sweepings obtained from the space underneath, are sold to the *neharwalas*