A.P.C.

ROY - THE ALCHEMIST OF MODERN INDIA

By Vidyut chakraborty

PART-I

An Indian scientist who won fame in many countries. Eighty years ago he began

the manufacture of medicines in India. A great teacher, great man and a true

patriot. A Professor of Chemistry, a pioneer in the field of pharmaceutical industry

in India who started making chemicals at home A scientist who won international

acclaim. His dwelling - a simple room on the first floor of the college in which he

was teaching; his household -students who could not afford to stay elsewhere.

His salary - donation to the department of Chemistry.

The London University used to conduct competitive examinations in those days

for the ‘Gilchrist Prize Scholarship’. The successful candidate could go abroad for

higher studies. Prafulla Chandra got the scholarship and in 1882 Prafulla

Chandra left for Britain. Prafulla Chandra joined the B.Sc. Class in the University

at Edinburg. He was very much influenced by the Professor of Chemistry, Mr.

Crum Brown, at the University. Chemistry became his first love. Prafulla Chandra

completed B.Sc. in 1885 and started research work to receive D.Sc. in 1887. He

was 27 years old at the time. He received the Hope Prize Scholarship of the

University, which enabled him to continue his work in the University for another

year.

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Eighty-five years ago Prafulla Chandra came to realize that the progress of India

was linked with industrialization. Without this there could be no salvation. Even

drugs for Indian patients had to come from foreign countries at that time. This put

money into the pockets of the merchants of those countries. This had to be

stopped. Drugs had to be manufactured in India. Prafulla Chandra wanted a

beginning to be made at once. Prafulla Chandra was not rich. He prepared some

chemicals at home. His work grew so fast that a separate company had to be

formed. But he needed capital - a capital of only eight hundred rupees. But it

became difficult to raise even this small amount. In spite of all these difficulties he

founded 'The Bengal Chemical.’ Prafulla Chandra's contribution to Indian industry

was even greater. Directly or indirectly he helped to start many other factories.

Textile mills, soap factories, sugar factories, chemical industries, ceramic

factories and publishing houses were set up at the time with his active co-

operation. He was the driving force behind the industrialization of the country,

which began at that time. During all these years, he was also actively engaged in

research in his laboratory at Presidency College. His publications on Mercurous

Nitrite and its derivatives brought him recognition from all over the world. He

guided many students in their research in his laboratory. Even famous scientific

journals abroad began to publish their scientific papers. There was much that

thought that Indians were backward in scientific knowledge and had received it

only recently from the West. But Prafulla Chandra said that Indians knew little

about there past history. They did not know much about the devotion and

industry with which our ancestors developed knowledge. Prafulla Chandra was

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from the beginning interested in the work of the early Hindu chemists. After

reading the famous book 'Greek Alchemy' by the great French scientist Berthelot

his interest in Hindu Chemistry grew into a passion. He started reading many

ancient books in Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali, and other languages, which contained

information on the subject. He wrote an article about a famous Sanskrit treatise

'Rasendrasara Sangraha' and sent it to Berthelot. The French scientist published

it with an introduction praising it as an extremely interesting article. He wrote to

Prafulla Chandra asking him to continue his research into the ancient texts and to

publish a whole book on Hindu Chemistry, After several years of study, Prafulla

Chandra published his famous book, - 'The History of Hindu Chemistry' which

received great praise from scientists all over the world. In this book he has given

a very interesting account to show that Hindu scientists knew about the

manufacture of steel, about distillation, salts, mercury sulfides etc., from very

early times..

In 1921 when Prafulla Chandra reached 60 years he donated, in advance, all his

salary for the rest of his service in the University to the development of the

Department of Chemistry and to the creation of two research fellowships. In

addition, he gave ten thousand rupees for an annual research prize in Chemistry

named after the great Indian Chemist Nagarjuna and another ten thousand for a

research prize in Biology named after Sir Asuthosh Mukherjee. In recognition of

Prafulla Chandra's great work he was elected President of Indian Science

Congress and Indian Chemical Society more than once. Many Indian and

Western Universities conferred honorary doctorates on him. Prafulla Chandra

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was a great scientist. But he had several other interests also, in which he shone

equally well. He had an abiding interest in literature. He knew by heart many

passages from Shakespeare's plays and the poems of Tagore and of

Madhusudan Dutt. He was well read in English literature. In 1932 he wrote his

autobiography in English and named it 'The Life and Experience of a Bengali

Chemist'. It was praised every where. Later, he himself translated it into Bengali.

The book was called 'Atma Charita'. In recognition of his service to Bengali

literature he was twice elected President of the Bengali Literary Conference.

Prafulla Chandra was very affectionate towards his students. He was overjoyed

when they received awards of honors. He used to repeat the Sanskrit saying, 'A

man may desire victory always but he should welcome defeat at the hands of his

own disciples'. Famous Indian scientists like Meghnad Saha and Shanthi Swarup

Bhatnagar were among his students. Prafulla Chandra followed a regular

timetable. He had strict control over his diet and habits, and was regular in his

exercises, He would not waste time. He always wore clean Khadi clothes. But

they were often not pressed. He would not allow others to serve him. He himself

washed his clothes and polished his shoes.

In 1885 Ray obtained his BSc degree and in 1887 he was awarded the DSc

degree of the University of Edinburgh in recognition of his work on “Conjugated

(gepaarte) Sulphates of the Copper-magnesium Group: A Study of Isomorphous

Mixtures and Molecular Combinations.” He was awarded the Hope Prize

Scholarship which enabled him to stay one more year in England. He was also

elected Vice President of the Chemical Society of the Edinburgh University.

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From Kanad , Susruta , charbak

Science journeyed the score of

history of the life time achiever B

We remembered the punishmen

Kanad ; that we kept in memory

mind the agony of seed- godes

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“ Eighty-five years ago Prafulla Chandra came to realize that the progress of

India was linked with industrialization. Without this there could be no salvation.

His work grew so fast that a separate company had to be formed. But he needed

capital - a capital of only eight hundred rupees. But it became difficult to raise

even this small amount. In spite of all these difficulties he founded 'The Bengal

Chemical.’

Prafulla Chandra's contribution to Indian industry was even greater. Directly or

indirectly he helped to start many other factories. Textile mills, soap factories,

sugar factories, chemical industries, ceramic factories and publishing houses

were set up at the time with his active co-operation. He was the driving force

behind the industrialization of the country, which began at that time.”

Let us open a forum of debate on Science in Ancient India was more

progressive and magical than that of modern time to commemorate the

ideals of lone-alchemist of undivided Bengal at his 150th. Birth Centenary.

Let us enlighten ourselves by quoting Acharya* Prafulla Chandra Roy : “I have

no

sense of success on any large scale in things achieved…but have the sense of

having worked and having found happiness in doing so.”

*Acharya-a sanskrit word used in Indian languages-means The Great Teacher .

 Vidyut Chakraborty –President of Salt lake Initiatiative for Scientific &

Public Awareness Target(ISPAT) .Email :ispat2011@gmail.com