It is said that just as a lion kills an e…lephant, similarly, sulphur destroys all metals Govindacharya, the Chemistry scholar says-

Naasti tallohamatango yanna gandhakakeshari Nihanyadwandhamaatrena yadwa makshikakeshari. —(Rasarnava-7-138-142)

Coversion of zinc into gold: We all know that if one part of zinc is mixed with three parts of copper and heated, it changes into brass, which is a golden coloured mixture. Nagarjuna says—

Kramen kritwambudharen ranjitah Karoti shulvam triputen kaanchanam —(Rasratnaakar-3)

The non-rusting ability of metals: Govindacharya has described, the sequence of the abilities of metals to fight rusting and corrosion. Even today, the same system is followed-

Suvarnam rajatam tamram teekshnavangam bhujangamah Lohakam shadvidham taccha yathapurvam tadakshayam. —(Rasarnav-7-89-90)

This means that the sequence of the metals staying unaffected and undecayed by rusting or corrosion is gold, silver, copper, brass, lead and iron. Of these, gold rusts the least.

How to make Copper Sulphate from Copper

Tamradaah jalairyoge jayate tutyakam shubham.

When copper is mixed with sulphuric acid, we get Copper Sulphate. Various ashes—When the harmful characteristics of a metal are removed by chemical action and the metal is converted to ashes, it is known as bhasma. The ash of iron (lauh bhasma), gold (suvarna bhasma), silver (rajat bhasma), copper (tamra bhasma), tin (vanga bhasma) and lead (sees bhasma) are primarily used for medicinal purposes.

One chapter of Vagbhatta’s Ras Ratna Samuchchay is dedicated to purification of juices.

Adamantine compound—In his Brihat Samhita, Varahmihir writes:

Ashtau seesakbhagah kansasya dvau tu reetikabhagah Maya kathito yogoayam vigyeyo vajrasanghatah. —(Brihat Samhita)

This means that if a compound which has eight parts of lead, two parts of bronze and one part of iron is used in the way that Maya has prescribed, it will change into a thunderbolt.

How to make distillates—According to Charak, there are nine ways of making distillates:

1. Dhanyasava—made from grains and seeds
2. Phalasava—made from fruits
3. Moolasava—made from roots
4. Saraasava—made from wood
5. Pushpaasava—made from flowers
6. Patraasava—made from leaves
7. Kaandaasava—made from stems and stacks
8. Twagaasava—made from barks
9. Sharkaraasava—made from sugar

Besides these, various kinds of perfumes, itr and other fragrant products were also developed. Detailed experiments about the metals have already been described in the metallurgy portion. All these formulae were not given by just listening to a teacher or guru or by reading books. They were given after carrying out experiments personally.

Expressing this, in the raskalp, a chapter of the Rudrayaamal Tantra of the 13th century, the scholar of chemistry says:

Iti sampadito margo drutinam patane sphutah Sakshadanubhavairdrishto na shruto gurudarshitah Lokanamupakarayetat sarvam niveditam Sarvesham chaiva lohanam dravanam parikeertitam. —(Raskalp A-3)

“I have proved all this by carrying out the experiments myself and not by what the tutor says or what the books says and have placed the result for everyone’s benefit.” This is an inspiring example of the experimentation of the scholars of chemistry in the ancient times