The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-06-10
MAKING GOLD.
Follow the Indian AleheInists' Methods
and, Prestoi You Are Rich.

Follow the Indian Alchemists' Methods
and, Prestoi You Are Rich.
For a long time in India the appar-
ent transmutation of tin, zinc, copper
and mercury into precious metals has
been practiced We have seen there
with our own eyes a metal like gold is
suing from the erueible of the Indian
alchemists-a metal that could not be
told from real gold hy means of tho
touehstone. We may SLY, however, that
in old India, as well as IN young Amer
Tea, they have not yet succeeded in Civ
ing to the metal thus obtained the chem
ical properties of gold On this point
they are not more advanced in the ono
country than in the other, and the prob
lem seems to us not to be near solution.
The metal obtained can, in fact, be de-
composed into its constituent elements
Nevertheless, it may be interesting to
present to public notice the Indian al
chemists and to describe their methods.
Around these personages many legends
have sprung up. The people assert that
they never come into a city except by
divine inspiration in order to cure i'll
ness and to enrich certain persons.
There is "a belief among the Hindoos.
very widespread, but purely fabulous,
that they disappear at certain hours
to rejoin the cittars-e vine naturalsts
of the early ages of India, who, accord
ing to Hindoo tradition, meet with
their divinity, Hari Ishari. on the sum
mits of the Himalayas, to learn the Sc
crets of nature.
The following is the method employ
ed by these Indian alchemists to make
their gold. We give literally, conform
ing to the weights and measures in use
in India, the list of substances necessary
for this delicate operation These are,
according to our documents:
Sulphur of NeIli-Kai (Phylanthus
lemblica), "a rupees weight & ounces).
White seeds of Abra precatorius, 8 ru-
pees weight (21a ounces).
One whole garlic.
Cinnabar, 6 rupees weight 2 ounces).
English orpiment, 6 rupees weight.
Sal ammoniac, 6 rupees weight.
These are powdered separately, ana
then "A paste is made of the whole, with
three quarts of paddy" made of the
milky juice of Asclepias gigantea. The
j whole is ground up with this milk.
Then little hard balls are uIade of the
/ mixture, and finally two sattiS are taken
/ of fine, hard earthenware, of such size
/ that the material to be distilled oceu-
/ pies only One-third or one fourth of the
vessel. On the lower vessel another sat
II Is soldered with potter earth, after
/ an opening has been made in the end of
/ this second vase. Over this hole is fit
/ ted bottle whose end is pierced, and
it is carefully sealed to the vase. Into
] the lower vase are put the little balls
described above, and the whole is then
sealed up
The powder, when yaporized, rises
along the sides of the bottle and con-
denses around the hole. 1t is collected
with II feather. Then zinc is taken. For
each rupees weight of zinc is allowed
q quantity OF the powder as large as
two or three rice grains. The zinc and
the powder are wrapped up together in
a bit of paper or linen or leaf. The
i whole is put into crucible, which is
/ then sealed with paste composed of
one part of COW dung, one of charcoal
and one of potter's earth This is
placed on Il fire of wood charcoal and
heated white hot, after which it is al
lowed to cool. Open the crucible-you
are rich man.-Paris Cosmos.