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Kesisa! (Iron Sulphate) or green vitriol.
Kasia is one of the inferior minerals used in various chemical processes. If finds mention also in the Rasārņava, and the Rasaratna Samuccaya of Vāgbhat. There are stated to be three kinds of Kasisa viz. white, black and yellow.2
The Rasaratna Samuccaya of Vagbhata refers to only two kinds of Rasısa, viz, Bālukāsisa and Puspakāsisa. Bālukāsisa is like the dust (or grain) of sand, of the colour of Kāñii, agar and smoke, uşņavirya and antidote to poison. It cures leucoderma (white leprosy) and blackens hair. Ruspaktsisa is bitter in quality and it also blackens hair.3
There is reference to giving saturation to Kasısa with the juice of Kasaundi and yellow taror by crushing it.4 Kasısa gets purified by drying up after drenching it into the juice of Bbāngrā (wedeliol calendulacea). The essence of Kasısa comes out like that of alum.5 Phitakaļı6 (Alum) or Tuvā?
Phițakadı (Saurāştı or Tuvarı) (alum) is useful inferior mineral in the chemical and medical preparations. It finds mention in other Indian 1. SRSS. Ch. 8. 3; 9, 43; 10. 21; 10, 29; 10.69; 11. 16, 22, 27, 39.
Hirākasisa Ibid. 3. 103; 10, 21,
Rs. Mānikyadeva Sari, Ch. 1.5. 2. Käsisam triviadham śuklaṁ Krşņam pitamiti priye, Rasārņava, 7/81 3. Kāstam bālukādyekam puşpapūrvamathāparaṁ /
Kșāramlagurudhumabham soșņaviryaṁ Vişāpaham || Puspadikāstsamatiprasastaṁ......... Kacarañjananca II.,
RS., Vägbhat. 2/52–54. 4. Käsisam curņayitvā tu kāsamarờdarasena ca .. · Rāiakosātakosātakitoyaiḥ pittaiscāparibhāvayet // -
Rasārņava 7/81-82. 5. Sakrdbbțngāmbunā vilannaṁ nirmalaṁ bhavet /
Tuvarisattvavat sātıvamețasyāpi samaharet, RS. 3/55-56. SRSS., Ch. 1, 8, 13, 39; 3.2, 5, 30-31, 71, 76, 102; 4.8, 12, 28; 5.2,
20, 32, 39; 67, 8, 19; 8.2, 7, 22; 9, 38, 41, 52; 10.6, 12; 3.9; 11.11; · 12, 17, 12.10, 27; 13.6,
Rs. Māņikyadeva sūri. Ch. 1.5, 7. Ibid., Ch. 1.61,
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