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We have seen earlier in the chapter on "Alchemy in China" that one of the earliest Chinese alchemists 30. Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. III, p. 168; see Secondary Sources. 31, Ho Peng-Yoke (2), p. 180; see Secondary Sources.

116 Wei Bo-yang wrote a book can-tong-qi. It was written in the second century AD. It must have received great attention and wide circulation since it was rewritten in several successive centuries, with extensive commentaries of various writers added to it. 32 There is a great diversity of opinion between the commentators who have rendered the text rather difficult to understand. Though the basic alchemical reaction in "can-tong-qi" is not clear, yet action between "Dragon and Tiger", signifying lead and mercury, is repeatedly described in it. An amalgam of lead, mercury and gold is prepared in the 33 above method and a cyclically` transformed elixir "huan-tan" is obtained from it. The ingredients and the method by which this reaction is carried out has a striking resemblance to the one frequently described in Bogar karpam. The 34 " paragraph from the text 'can-tong-qi" which described the above reaction is given below: Jin (the metal) is used as an embankment (to prevent mercury from escaping) so that "shui" (mercury) can be put in and run about freely. 32 pp. 53, 57. 33. 'Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5., Pt. III, 'Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. III, p. 60. 34. *Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. III, p. 73.

117 The amount of "jin" is fifteen (ozs) and so is the amount of "shui" (mercury). Weighings should be made when the furnace is about to be heated. An excess amount of "shui" by half should be used. These are the two genuine substances. The weight of "jin" will be the same as it was originally. A third (substance) therefore does not come in. But when fire two (which is also represented by a number) is introduced these three will interpenetrate each other and the marvellous changes (bian-hua) will take place. Below (the reaction vessel) is the "qi" of Dai Yang (i.e. fire). After a short time of heating (lit. steaming, zheng) first liquifaction and then solidification takes place. The substance thus formed is called "the yellow carriage" (huang-yu). As the time (lit. month and year) draws to a close, the nature (of the original substance) is destroyed and their life shortened. (Eventually the transformation of) their form and matter comes about giving a sort of powdery ash resembling "brown window dust." (The substance) is ground, mixed well and enclosed (in another reaction vessel) before being introduced into the opening of a red (hot furnace). Attention should be paid to the sealing of the edges of the container so as to keep the whole intact without leaking. The dazzling flame plays below, making a noise, both day and night. At the start the flame should be gentle so as to be controllable but eventually its strength should be increased until it reaches maximum intensity. The regulation of the temperature should be watched over with greatest care. There are twelve periods in the (diurnal) cycle. At the end of each period one should be particularly careful. When the "qi" (i.e. the fire) is about to be let down, the original bodies have been killed, and the "hun" and "po" souls have disappeared (i.e. the substances have changed their nature). The colour has already turned purple, and thus is the cyclically transformed elixir (huan-dan) achieved. This is then made into pills which can be taken, and is magically effective even if only a knife-point of it is administered.

118 The paragraphs in "Bogar karpam" describing the reactions are given below: ' 35 Sloka No. 52 Another karanthai karpam (Sphaeranthus Zeylanicus) Crush "karanthai" leaves in a mortor and extract the juice from them. Strain a measure of this juice through a piece of fine cloth and keep it aside. Place a clean spoon in a piece of broken pot. Pour some mercury in the spoon. As the mercury melts give it a Surukku with the karanthai juice. In about four Jamams 36 mercury will be soft like butter. No. 53 Roll the butter-like mercury in a ball. Sheath the ball with karanthai leaves ground to paste. Calcine the ball in a fire built with the cowdung cakes. Repeat the process ten times. Melt the resulting mercury powder in a crucible. As it melts add one-fourth of its quantity of gold. No. 54 gold. - All also lead equal to the weight of the Melt all the ingredients together. Allow the crucible to cool. Grind the contents of the crucible in a stone mortor. Add as much of lingam (cinnabar Mercuric Sulphide) and one-fourth as much of Thalam (Harital or Talaka, i.e. orpiment), sulphur and Monosilai (Manashila, i.e. Realgar). Moisten the ingredients with the extract of karanthai leaves. Grind them thoroughly to a paste and transfer the paste to a Merukuppi (A crucible with the triangular shape). No. 55 - Heat the kuppi (crucible) for twelve Jamams (twenty-four hours). The contents of the crucible will crumble into a red powder. This Senthuram has a very high alchemical value 35 52 to 55. ' See "Bogar karpam" in Primary Sources; Sloka Jamam is a measure of time; 1 Jamam is equal to 36 2 hours. 37 Senthuram A group of powders prepared by heating various combinations of ingredients like gold,

(when it is added to one of the navalohakams nine metals, in the proportion one to a hundred it will turn it into gold. If it is taken in Karanthai juice for fourty days at a stretch, the body will be rendered strong and will glow like furnished gold.) A similar process is described in Sloka numbers 65, 120, 147, 174 and 181. Only the plant used for the fixation of mercury is different in various processes. By comparing the above methods, given in two different texts, Chinese and Tamil, we observe a striking resemblance in them. In Bogar's method, mercury is fixed with the juice of one of the several plants like Sphaelanthus Zeylanicus, Ocium Sanctum, Cassia Fistula, Calaba India, etc. It is then melted in a crucible. As it melts, one-fourth of its quantity of gold is added to it. Lead is also added equal to the weight of gold. these ingredients are melted together. The crucible is then allowed to cool. The contents of the crucible are ground in a stone mortor. To this mixture an equal amount of cinnabar is added. All After further addition of orpiment, sulphur, realgar, one-fourth as much of each as the amount of cinnabar, the mixture is moistened with the 119 FN. 37 continued zinc, lead, mercury, cinnabar, orpiment, realgar, and juice of various plants. These powders were usually red-coloured and of great alchemical value. Origin of the Sanskrit word "Sindura" in this Tamil word is discussed in the next chapter.

120 juice of the leaves of the above-mentioned plant. It is then ground thoroughly to a paste and it is transferred to a crucible called "Meru kuppi" (A crucible with the shape of the mountain Meru, i.e., triangular). The kuppi is heated for twelve periods, each consisting of two hours (i.e., 1 Jamam). Contents of the crucible will turn into a red powder. This powder, according to Bogar, has a high alchemical value. When it is added to one of the 38 nine metals (Navalohakam), in proportion of one to a hundred, metal will turn into gold. When this powder is taken internally with the above-mentioned plants' juice for fourty days the body is rendered very strong. In "can-tong-qi" also the reaction is carried out in two distinct stages. In the first stage, an amalgam of lead, gold and mercury is obtained by melting them together. In the second stage this amalgam is cooled, ground and mixed with substances like cinnabar, sulphur, realgar and orpiment. This mixture is transferred to another crucible and is heated again for twelve periods, each consisting of two hours, yielding the elixir in the end. 38 Navalohakam are nine metals iron, gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, brass and bell-metal.

121 It is interesting to note that, in the elixirsyntheses described in both these texts, equal amounts of lead and gold are used and that of mercury is more than either of them. In this way, the chief reaction in the second century Chinese text can-tong-qi is the one Bogar describes repeatedly in his text.