A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century, A.D. (Volume 1); With Sanskrit Texts, Variants, Translation and Illustrations (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1903. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... Tests For Killed Mercury "When the mercury assumes divers colours after having given up its fluidity, it is known as swooned; killed mercury is that which does not show signs of fluidity, mobility and lustre." XI. 197-198 Colouring Of Metals "Iron, lead, and copper are coloured by means of calamine--the whole turns into gold." (Cf. VII. 3I-34-) XIL 50 "Mercury is composed of the five elements and represents DEGREESiva himself." II. 78 "Take one pala of the ash of mercury and rub it with the same weight of sulphur and roast the mixture in a covered crucible: thus we get vermilion of the colour of the rising sun." XVI. 81 "Take the vitriol which is of the colour of the throat of the peacock, saffron, calamine, as also the excrement of a young calf, the poisons, powdered plumbago zeylanica, all in equal proportions, rub them with the acids and dry in the shade. Having added honey to the above mixture, smear it on a thin sheet of lead. When roasted in a covered crucible, the lead is coloured in no time; the lead which is now of beautiful colour is fit for bedecking the persons of the gods."1 XVIII. 70-74 (I) Refers probably to the "gold-like alloy used by watchmakers" into the composition o which copper, zinc and lead enter. See Roscoe and Schor., 11. p. 494, ed. 1897. The latro-Chemical Period (From 1300 A. D. to circa 1550 A. D.) Chemistry in Rasaratnasamuchchaya BOOK I Salutation to him--the excellent, the greatest physician of the world by the nectareous ocean of whose benign glance, resplendent with brilliance, born of everything that is joyous and auspicious and which acts like unfailing elixir, the diseases of his devotees, such as birth, death, old age and worldly attachment, are cured in an instant.1 i (1) The salutation is strictly Buddhistic and is on...