Essay name: Alchemy in India and China
Author:
Vijaya Jayant Deshpande
Affiliation: Panjab University / Department of Chemistry
The thesis "Alchemy in India and China" explores the comparative aspects of alchemy in these two countries, focusing on chemical and protochemical formulations while addressing why modern science developed in the West rather than in India or China. It briefly touches upon internal alchemy in China and the ritualistic tantra in India.
Chapter 4 - Transmutation of Base Metals into Gold
12 (of 22)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
II. Surface-layer Enrichment by Addition Mercury amalgams were used for plating the metal- surfaces, i.e., gilding or silvering, before the invention of electroplating. Molten amalgam of gold and mercury (or silver and mercury) is smeared on the cleansed metal surface. On heating, mercury gets volatilised and a thin layer of gold or silver is obtained on the surface of the metal. The descriptions of this kind of amalgamation gilding are found in Slokas 150, 720, 600-602. 21 One masa ball of mercury (mrtgolaka) and
one māsa ball of killed gold are to be rubbed,
with citric acid for three days. The leaves of
one "karsa" of lead, smeared with this paste of
gold and mercury kept in a closed crucible when
roasted becomes gold. It (gold) is to be taken
out when it cools down by itself. The gold thus
produced, is to be collected to attain success
in the pursuit of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma.
21.
'
Rasārnavakalpa, Sloka 149-151, p. 18.
मृतगोलकमाषैक माषै� हेमगोलकम� � [mṛtagolakamāṣaika māṣaika hemagolakam || ] 149 ||
एकीकृत्� तु समर्� लुङ् [ekīkṛtya tu samartha lu�] �गाम्ले� दिनत्रयम� �
कर्षों के नागपत्राणि रसकल्लेन लेपयेत� [gāmlena dinatrayam |
karṣo� ke nāgapatrāṇi rasakallena lepayet ] 11 150 11
जायत� कनकं दिव्यमन्धमूषापुढ� कृते �
स्वाङ् [jāyate kanaka� divyamandhamūṣāpuḍhe kṛte |
�] �गशीतञ्च संग्राह्यं धर्मकामार्� सिद्धिदम� � [gaśītañca saṃgrāhya� dharmakāmārtha siddhidam || ] 151 ||
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