Rasaratna Samuchaya

Rasaratna Samuccaya ( Devanagari: रसरत्न समुच्चय) is an Indian Sanskrit treatise on alchemy. The text is dated between 13th^[1] to 16th century CE.^[2]

The text contains detailed descriptions of various complex metallurgical processes,^[3][4] 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:^[5]

• Systematic approach to the Science. (Rasaratna Samuccaya 6/2)
• Philosophy of scientific explanation.
• Two kinds of mineral with zinc: calamine and Smithsonite. (Rasaratna Samuccaya 2-149)
• Color and nature of the mineral. ('Artha-sastra' '2 -30)
• Color of minerals with copper.
• Properties of some chemicals, such as calcium carbonate. (Rasaratna Samuccaya 3 / 130-131)
• Distillation of mercury. (Rasaratna Samucchaya 3/144)
• Explanation of the corrosion (Rasārṇava 7/97)
• The color of the flame (Rasārṇava 4/51)
• Three types of iron (Rasaratna Samuccaya 5/69)
• Two kinds of tin (Rasaratna Samuccaya 5 / 153-154)
• The lead (Rasaratna Samuccaya 5/170)
• The zinc metal (Rasataraṅgiṇi 19/95)
• The brass (Rasendra Cūḍāmaṇi14 / 154)
• The bronze (Rasaratna Samuccaya 5/205)
• Conditions of a laboratory and the people who work within it.