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 1 - Introduction to the history of Alchemy
2 (of 18)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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combinations, were insufficient to explain all chemical
phenomena, e.g., transformations occurring in nature and
those occurring in metallurgical and alchemical operations.
Consequently, these theories were abandoned and scientists
of the late medieval period put forth new theories trying
to explain their observations. These new theories, which
were verified by experimental methods, paved the way to new
ideas regarding matter, elements, chemical combinations,
chemical compounds, etc., finally giving rise to the
modern ideas of chemistry.
Modern atomic theory proves that alchemists'
attempts of transmuting base metals into gold and silver
were doomed to fail. It pointed out that transmutation or
transforming one metal into another is only possible if the
nucleus of that element is converted into the nucleus of
the other element, with the requisite number of protons and
extra-nuclear electrons. This happens naturally in the
case of radioactive elements. To bring about this kind of
transformation artificially a nuclear reactor is necessary.
The energy changes involved are so tremendous that they are
impossible by the older methods. The only source of energy
in those times was heat. The energy supplied by heating
the ingredients together is insufficient and negligible
compared to energy changes required in actual transmutation
of elements.
