Page:A History of Hindu Chemistry Vol 1.djvu/217

Rh herbs and drugs, mercury can be killed with the aid of an apparatus alone; hence an expert must not disparage the efficacy of the apparatus."

"Take an earthen dish and fill it with sand and place another over it; apply gentle heat. Now digest in this apparatus [the ingredients] with the five alkalies (cf. pp. 45 and 69), the urines (see p. 30), and the "vida" (see p. 72). This is known as Hamsapāka Yantram by the adepts."

"Earth of black red, yellow and white colour * * burnt husks of paddy, soot, earth from the ant-hill, well burnt excrements of the goat and the horse * * rust of iron" * * [varying proportions of the above ingredients are used for making crucibles, retorts, &c.]

"There are two kinds of crucibles, viz., open and covered (lit. blind) * * * the covered one