Part 11 - Mercurial operations (9): Rehabilitation of Mercury (anubasana)

(a) First process.

Stimulated mercury, is re-habilitated (anubasana) by being mixed with lime juice, and exposed to the sun, for one day, in a pot made of earth or stone,

(b) Second process.

For the purpose of intensifying the potency of mercury, it is to be boiled with sour asava or with the juice of some or all of the following:—

Gandhanakuli, kshirini, bandhya, hilamochika, sankhapuspi, kakajangha, apamarga, bhargi, akhukarni, punarnava, kanchuki, durba, svetajhinti, utpala, simbi, satabari, asthibhanga, agnikarni, sveta-arka, sigru, dhattura, mrigadurba; (these serve to control mercury), rambha, raktalu, nirgundi, lajjalu, devadali, mandukaparni, patali (nagaballi), chitraka, grismasundara, kaka-machi, maharastri, haridra, tilaparni, jati, jayanti, shridevi, bhukadamba, kusumbha, koshataki, jalapippali, langali, katutumbi, chakramarda, guduchi, shurana, surjabarta, sarapunkha, barahikanda, and hastishundi—all these are what are called rasamulika. These are useful for the purpose of rubbing and coiling of mercury, as also for making crucibles for mercurial operations.

An easy process of absolute purification of mercury.

Mercury is stript of all sorts of impurities, if rubbed for three days with a decoction of kanya, chitraka, red sarshapa, and brihati, and for 3 days more with the triphala. Mercury is then to be rubbed for one day with kanya and powdered baridra. Mercury thus treated becomes impotent, and is therefore to be boiled with the decoction of sarpakshi, chinchika, bandhya, bhringaraja, and mustaka. Thus it becomes powerful. If it is then boiled with the decoction of chitraka, it becomes very powerful.

(Mercury, thus purified, does not require to undergo all those operations beginning with boiling and ending with rehabilitation).

Another easy process of absolute purification of mercury.

Mercury, kept inside a crucible made of rye and garlic, is to be boiled in kanji for three days by means of a Dola-yantra. It is to be rubbed for one day each with the following: juice of kanya, decoction of chitraka, juice of kakamachi, and decoction of triphala. The mercury is then to be washed off with kanji, and rubbed for one day incessantly with half its quantity of saindhava, and a sufficient quantity of lime juice. It is then to be rubbed with kanji, rye, garlic, lakucha, and narasara; made into a cake; coated all over with hingu, and then dried, The cake is to be put into a samputa consisting of one earthen vessel and one earthen basin placed upon it, the vessel being filled with salt. The joint is then to be closed very tightly. The apparatus is to be placed upon fire and water is to be put into the basin, as usual. Mercury sublimates and gets itself deposited inside the basin. This mercury is free from all defects and may be used for all purposes.