Rasaratna Samuchaya
Rasaratna Samuccaya is an Indian Sanskrit treatise on alchemy. The text is dated between 13th to 16th century CE.
The text contains detailed descriptions of various complex metallurgical processes, as well as descriptions of how to set up and equip a laboratory and other topics concerning Indian alchemy. It is a work that synthesises the writings and opinions of several earlier authors and presents a coherent account of medieval Indian alchemy.
Contents
Among the diverse scientific content of this text is:- Systematic approach to the Science.
- Philosophy of scientific explanation.
- Two kinds of mineral with zinc: calamine and Smithsonite.
- Color and nature of the mineral.
- Color of minerals with copper.
- Properties of some chemicals, such as calcium carbonate.
- Distillation of mercury.
- Explanation of the corrosion
- The color of the flame
- Three types of iron
- Two kinds of tin
- The lead
- The zinc metal
- The brass
- The bronze
- Conditions of a laboratory and the people who work within it.