The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-10
MAKING GOLD.
Follow the Indian Alohemists' Methods
and, PrestOI You Are Rich.

Follow the Indian Alohemists' Methods
and, Prestoi You Are Rich.
For long time in India the appar-
emit transmutation of tin, zinc, copper
and mercury into precious metals has
been practiced. We have seen there
with our own eyes metal like gold Is
suina from the crucible OF the Indian
alcbcn ists--a metal that could not be
told from real gold by means OF the
touchstne We may say, however that
In old India, as we'll as IN young Amer
lea, 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 one
country than in the other, and the PROB
lem seems TO us not TO be'near solution.
The metal obtained can, III 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 city except by
! divine inspiration in order to cure i'll
ness and to enrich certain persons
There is belief among the Hindoos,
very widespread, but purely fabulous,
that they disappear at certain hours
to rejoin the cittars-divine naturalists
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 Nelli-Kai (Phylanthu'
lemblica), "a rupees weight q ounces)
White seeds of Abra precatorius, ru
pees weight (21a ounces).
One whole garlic.
Cinnabar, rupees weight q ounces)
English orpiment, rupees weight.
Sal ammoniac, 6 rupees weight.
These are powdered separately, ant
then paste is made of the whole, will
three quarts of paddy" made of tn
milky juice of Asclepias gigantea. TIL
whole is ground up with this milk
Then little hard balls are made Of tn
! mixture, and finally two sattis are take
!. Of fine, hard earthenware, of such siz
! that the material to be distilled occu
pies only one third or one-fourth OF tn
vessel. On the lower vessel another sal
ii is soldered with potter's earth, afte
an opening has been made in the end
this second vase. Over this hole is fl
. ted bottle whose end is pierced, an
it is carefully sealed to the vase. Int
the lower vase are put the little bal
!, described above, and the whole is the
sealed up.
The powder, when vaporized, ris'
: along the sides of the bottle and col
denses around the hole. 1t is collecte
!" with feather. Then zinc is taken. Fl
y each rupees weight of zinc is above
e quantity of the powder as large
. two or three rice grains. The zinc al
L the powder are wrapped up together
= q bit of paper or linen or leaf L
whole is put into a crucible, which
then sealed with a paste composed
one part of COW dung, one of chatct
and one of peters earth. This
80 placed on fire Of wood charcoal a
he ted white hot, after which it is
. lowed to cool. Open the crucible-y
y, are rich man. Paris Cosmos.