Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 5: Treatment of various afflictions
by Bhudeb Mookerjee | 1938 | 63,627 words | ISBN-10: 8170305829 | ISBN-13: 9788170305828
This fifth volume of the Rasa-jala-nidhi deals with the symptoms, treatment and dietary prescriptions of various afflictions. For example, ratapitta (haemoptysis), cough, asthma, tumours and obesity are dealth with and various Iatro-chemical recipes are provided for these diseases. The Rasa-jala-nidhi (“the ocean of Iatrochemistry, or, chemical me...
Part 20 - Chemists of the Metallic School: Nitya-natha
The problem of the age of Nityanatha is somewhat puzzling. He must have flourished, as has previously been shown, between the 3rd century B.C. and the 4th century A.D. His compilation, viz., Rasa-ratnakara, No. 2 which is one biggest of all the ancient compilations does not bear any mark of indebtedness to Jasodhara, and the vice versa. It appears that the interval between the times of these two chemists was so short that the fame of one’s work could not possibly reach the ears of the other, especially on account of the distance between the provinces to which they belonged, viz., Bengal and Gujrat respectively.
His name has not been included in the list of chemists given at the outset of Rasaratna-samuchchaya. In all probability, Vagbhata, the author of Rasa-ratna-samuchchaya, had no knowledge of Nityanatha’s works.
Conclusion:
This concludes ‘Chemists of the Metallic School: Nitya-natha’ included in Bhudeb Mookerjee Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 5: Initiation, Mercury and Laboratory. The text includes treatments, recipes and remedies and is categorised as Rasa Shastra: an important branch of Ayurveda that specialises in medicinal/ herbal chemistry, alchemy and mineralogy, for the purpose of prolonging and preserving life.