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
21 (of 22)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
33 34 35
organic
dyes, reducing
agents, organic acids and
36 bases.
90 The "Poisonous Water" or "Visodaka"
37 Needham' mentions a passage from the text "Yu
Yang za zu" written by "duan Cheng shi" in the year 863 AD.
The writer gives an account of the happenings in the year
648 AD, in which an Indian prince was captured by the
Chinese ambassador, Wang xuan ce, and was presented to the
Chinese emperor.
An Indian scholar who accompanied the
captured Indian prince, describes a kind of water to the
Chinese emperor. This description agrees with that of a
mineral acid Visodaka (poisonous water) given in the
33.
E.g., katutumbi (Langenaria Vulgaris), which is
Indian bottle gourd, has a musk-like odour. Musk itself
stains the paper yellow (c.f. Chopra, R. N., p. 466)
k奴峁a峁嘾i (Beninsara Cerifera), i.e., wax-gourd also
contains a yellow dye.
34.
E.g., Citraka, i.e., Plumbagin is mentioned to
contain a reducing sugar (c.f. Chopra, R. N. and others,
p. 386).
35.
E.g., Matulunga (citrus medica) contains
citric acid, see RSK, p. 124.
36.
E.g., Apamarga contains saponins and kadali
contains amines, which are bases. (RSK, pp. 121, 123.)
37.
Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. IV, p. 197.
