Page:A Short History of Aryan Medical Science.djvu/147

VII.] quantity of lead ; triturate the mass in lemon juice and make it into a ball ; then coat it with powdered sulphur ; put the bolus in an earthen pot, and cover it with another vessel of the same size ; cement the two together with a layer of white clay, and place them in the midst of fire made of twenty cow-dung cakes. When the fire has completely burnt out, take out the mass from the crucible. Repeat the process for seven consecutive clays, and then the metal becomes calcined, and can easily be reduced to powder. This gold "calx" is said to be a good tonic, and is supposed to cure nearly all diseases. It is said to remove the effects of old age, and to restore the vigour of manhood, to sharpen the memory, improve the voice and colour of the body, and promote strength. It is stimulant and aphrodisiac.

Silver bhasma is prepared in very much the same way, and is highly recommended in sexual weakness and obesity.

The process of purifying copper is similar to that adopted for gold. When purified, boil the thin plates of the metal for three days in lemon juice, and incorporate it with one-fourth of its' quantity of quicksilver. Then the mass, mixed