Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-05-14
INDIAN ALCHEMISTs.
Make Common Metals Into What Ap-
pears to Be Cold

pears to Be Gold.
For a long time, in India, the APP
parent transmutation of tin, zinc, cop
per, and mercury into precious metals
has been practiced. We have seen
With our own eyes metal like gold
issuing from the crucible of the In
dian alchemists--a metal that could
not be told from real gold by means Of
the touchstone. We may say. how
ever, that in old India, as well as in
young America, they have not yet
succeeded in giving to the metal thus
obtained the chemical properties of
gold On this point they are not more
advanced in the one country than in
the other, and the problem seems to
us not to be near solution. Themetal
obtained can, in fact, be decomposed
into its constituent elements. Never
theless, it may be interesting to pre-
sent to public notice the Indian
alchemists and to describe their
methods. Around these personages
many legends have sprung up. The
people assert that they never come
into city except by Divine inspira-
ton, in order to cure illness and to
enrich certain persons. There is a
belief among the Hindus, very wide
spread, but purely fabulous, that they
disappear at certain hours to rejoin
the cittars, divine naturalists of the
early ages of India, who, according
to Hindu tradition, meet with their
divinity, Haridshari, on the SUBMITS
of the Himalayas, to learn the secrets
of nature.
The following is the method en-
ployed by these Indian alchemists to
make their gold. We give literally,
conforming to the weights and meas
ures in use in India, the list of sub
stances necessary for this delicate
operation. These are, according to
our documents:
Sulfur of Nelli-Kai Phylanthus
lemblica), 2l rupees weight q
ounces).
White seeds of Abra precatorius,
8 rupees weight az ounces).
One whole garlic.
Cinnabar, 6 rupees weight e
ounces).
English orpiment, 6 rupees weight
Sal ammoniac, rupees weight.
These are powdered separately, and
then a paste is made of the whole,
with three quarts of paddy" made of
the milky juice of Asclepias gigantea.
The whole is ground up with this
milk. Then little hard balls are made
Of the mixture, and finally two sattis
are taken, of fine, hard eathenware,
of such size that the material to be
distilled occupies only one-third or
one-fourth of the vessel. On the
lower vessel another satti is soldered
with potter's earth, after an opening
has been made in the end of the Sec
ond vase. Over this hole is fitted a
bottle whose end is pierced, and it is
carefully sealed to the vase. Into the
lower vase are put the little balls de-
scribed above, and the whole is then
sealed up,
The powder, when vaporized, rises
along the sides of the bottle and con-
denses around the hole. 1t is col
lected with a feather. Then zinc is
taken; for each rupees weight of zinc
is allowed quantity of the powder as
large as two or three rice grains. The
zine and the powder are wrapped up |
together in bit Of paper or linen or
leaf. The whole is put into a cruel
BILE, which is then sealed with a paste |
composed Of one part Of COW dung, |
ono of charcoal, and one of potter's |
earth. This is placed on fire of wood |
charcoal and heated white hot, after |
which it is allowed to cool. Open the |
crucible-you are a rich man!-Paris |