Hindu Achievements in Exact Science: A Study in the History of Scientific Development c16.19

c16.19

10. The Hindus had no knowledge of mineral acids for a long period. But this defect was made up by their use of *Vid*, which, says Ray, could "kill all metals." This was a mixture containing *aqua regia* and other mineral acids *in potentia*. The substance had probably been discovered by Patanjali.⁵⁹ Mineral acids were discovered almost simultaneously both in India and Europe during the sixteenth century.