A History of Hindu Chemistry, vol. 2

I avail myself of this opportunity to express my cordial thanks to Pandit Harishchandra Kaviratna, late Professor of Sanskrit at Presidency College and my collaborator in editing the text of the Rasárnava for the Bibliotheca Indica series.

In the preface to the first volume, I ventured to narrate the circumstances under which I undertook the composition of my History. The great chemist and scholar—whose inspiration has been my guiding principle throughout this arduous task and whose lengthy, appreciative review of the first installment served as a stimulus for its continuation—is no more. Marcellin Berthelot breathed his last on March 18, 1907, leaving the world of science much poorer. It was with the view of coming into personal contact with this illustrious scientist that I made a pilgrimage to Paris in March 1905. The long interview I had with M. Berthelot, and the reception accorded to me at a meeting of the Academy of Sciences by its late Perpetual Secretary and its President, M. Troost, left a deep and lasting impression on my mind.

Alas, for the vanity of human wishes! These pages will no longer be greeted by the eager and indulgent eyes of M. Berthelot. All that now remains for me is to dedicate this volume to his sacred memory.