386 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [August, 1910. 



thousand crore times better than Niranga. ' ' ' So Kanta iron is 



purposes 



[For a description of Kanta iron, vide Dr. P. C. Ray's History 



60.1 When 



first 



( *nfV<T ) by macerating it in a decoction of the ' ' three myro- 

 balans " (f^G^r). The iron is then again immersed in the same 

 decoction and dried in the sun. This process is to be repeated 

 seven times. This is called " bhanu-paka-bidhi " (HTif^r^ f%ftf)- 

 The iron is next boiled in decoctions of various substances de- 

 pending on the nature of the disease for which it is to be used. 

 This process is called " sthali-paka-bidhi " (^IT^t ^^ fafir)- 



The iron thus treated is now washed in clear water and roasted 

 inside two earthenware concave dishes with their mouths placed 

 on each other and luted with mud. This pair of dishes is then 

 put in a pit of suitable dimensions dug in the earth and heated 

 by means of burning cow-dung cakes. This process is called 



" puta-paka-bidhi " (•$& ttt^F fafV ). 2 The iron is thus to be 



roasted ten, hundred or even thousand times, and it is 

 believed that the greater the number of ' c putas ' ' iron has been 

 subjected to, its medicinal efficacy increases in a corresponding 

 degree. The alternate maceration and heating make the powder 

 very light, and, in fact, the test prescribed by Rasendra-shar- 

 Shangraha by means of which the proper number of putas is to 

 be judged is the extreme lightness of the powder. ' c The iron 



water, it will 

 lightness." 3 



powdered 



1 ^rr^FQTff^^f §ft^ ^nt^^t^W^TcT: 



<?^> 



I 



^tct ?&jpB xrrf% f*rew ^vfkQ 



In another place we have got **ft«iji^ii«i*J *p^ *p>^TWNr viliV 



^t^JTI^W^ ^fT^ etc., " from which also w 

 the best kind of iron to be used. 



» For a description of a roasting pit see Ray's History, page 70 



3 ^Tf^rWff 31% UifafWeP 



SlcTTf^ *T^W ^ %^T ^^TT^% 



I 





