Mineral & Metal Preparations

Introduction

The earliest known Herbal and medical texts all contained mineral and metal medicines. However, over millennia, the ancients learned to prepared metals, minerals and gems in more sophisticated ways, separating them from Galenicals (such as powders and pills) which occasionally used metals and minerals in powder form.

This branch of medicine closely aligns with Alchemy in both East and West, the ultimate goal of many practitioners of alchemy being the Elixir of Youth, and the Philospher’s Stone (to change base metals into Gold). But due to the experimentation, many great medicines were created. Processes such as distillation, calcination, dissolving in acids, precipitation and various other techniques were used to reduce hard bodies such as metals, to remove unwanted effects, or to enhance efficacy.

Some of these medicines require sophisticated equipment, laboratory skills, and some may be dangerous to make or to administer. However, there are many that are highly practical and still clinically useful.

Brief History

The roots of Western Alchemy date back over 2000 years ago to priests in Egypt. Chemistry and metallurgy were used primarily to make sacred items and faux gold for statues. But over the next centuries, a theoretical framework based on Aristotle’s doctrine of everything being composed of 4 Elements, and gradually this turned to medicine.

Western Europe only truly re-adopted the tradition in 1144 CE, when scholar Robert of Chester translated the Arabic text Book on the Composition of Alchemy into Latin, sparking the medieval European alchemical boom

The Chinese tradition is generally attributed to beginning with Zou Yan (c. 350–270 BCE). But is was The First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang (c. 221–210 BCE): Famously obsessed with living forever, he funded massive expeditions and court magicians (fangshi) to find the “Elixir of Life”. 

Rasa Sastra and the process of forming Bhasma appears to have began development in India around the 8th century. Although some scholars believe the basis of this art is much older, having originated in a foreign country and was imported to India.

Monographs on Mineral and Metal Preparations:

Gandhak Rasayan (Sulphur Rejuvenating Pill)