History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c4.14

c4.14

On his return to India, Rây was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Presidency College, Calcutta, in 1889, where in 1911, only a few years before his retirement, he became the Senior Professor. Here he established a very high reputation as a successful teacher and investigator, and gathered around him a band of devoted research workers. He and his colleague Jagadis Chandra Bose, the then Professor of Physics at the Presidency College, were the first Indian teachers to initiate research work in natural science and to inspire young minds with a spirit of enquiry, desire for knowledge and quest for truth He used to take special delight in the study and teaching of the history of chemistry. In 1902 he published the first volume of his monumental work, the *History of Hindu Chemistry*, the second volume of which appeared in 1908. This was the result of a long and painstaking research, extending over a period of 15 years, and gives us a glimpse into the achievements of the early Hindus in the domain of positive science. The book was rightly acclaimed as a valuable contribution to the history of science