Part 9 - Liquefaction of mica

First process.

Dhanyabhra is to be rubbed with the juice of agastya leaves and kept confined within a tuber of shurana. It is then to be placed inside a pit, 1½ foot deep, cut in a land where cows are kept. This mica will be found to resemble mercury, if taken out after a month,

Second process.

Purified leaves of black mica are to be soaked with pilu oil, and dried in the sun, the process being repeated over and over again, for one weak. They are then to be rubbed with the amla-barga (see page 301, Vol I) and similarly to be dried. Next are to be procured equal quantities of ksharas of the following, powdered well:—snuhi, arka, arjuna, chitraka, katutumbi, jabakshara, svarjikshara, and tankana. The mica leaves are then to be rubbed with these ksharas and subjected to bhavana for three days with the decoction of the following bajra-kanda, kshira-kanda, brihati, kantakari, and bana-brintaka, The mica leaves are then to be coated with a concentrated solution of the ksharas mentioned above, kept on a bell metal pot and dried, the process being repeated, as many times as necessary, for three days, resulting in the liquefaction of mica.

Third process.

Dhanya-abhra with an equal quantity of powdered karkoti fruit and mitra-pachchaka, (or panchamrita—see page 44) combined, is to be rubbed with a sour juice for one day, and heated in a crucible resulting in a liquefaction.

Fourth process.

Dhanya-abhra with one fourth its quantity of cow’s flesh and saindhava are to be rubbed for three days with the milks of snuhi and arka, and with the juice of basaka, and made into a ball which is to be put inside the tuber of a banana plant, coated all over with mud. The whole thing is to be heated, for three days, by means of a fire made of cow dung cakes, resulting in a clear liquefaction of the mica.

Fifth process.

Mica is to be powdered very fine and subjected to bhavana with human oil (fat).* It is then to be subjected to heat by being put into a crucible, previously coated all over its inner surface, with a worm called indra gopa or gopendra. The result will be a liquefaction of the mica,

See glossary.

Sixth process.

Powdered white mica is to be subjected to bhavana with cow’s urine and then with the juice of banana. It is then to be confined in a blind crucible and subjected to heat over and over again until it turns into a liquid.

Seventh process.

Essence of Dhanya-abhra, rubbed with the juice of bajra balli and saubarchala salt, and subjected to puta for several times, assumes the appearance of mercury,

Eighth process.

Powdered devadali, subjected to bhavana for many times, with its own juice, if thrown upon essence of mica, causes the liquefaction of the latter. This liquid comes to be condensed of itself, and even changes itself into gold, in course of time.

Ninth process.

(The process of liquefying all the metals).

Essence of mica as well as any metal undergoes liquefaction, if powdered tuber of kanchuki, already subjected to bhavana with its own juice, is thrown upon it.

How to amalgamate more than one metal in a state of cold liquid.

More than one such liquids amalgamate, if rubbed with the juice of palasha seeds, mixed with black aguru, musk, manas-shila, onion, and white hingu, and heated.