Page 3 - Curiosity August 2020

charya Prafulla Chandra Ray is a persona defined by indomitable courage and patriotism and most importantly by his com-
mitment to scientific integrity by using the best available local resources. He is known as the Father of Modern Chem- istry in India. Ray is also the first Indian to integrate ancient Indian knowledge of chemistry with modern sciences, a researcher who led Indians towards modern chemistry, founder of Indian Chemical Society and an entrepreneur.
Prafulla Chandra was born on August 02, 1861, in the village of Raruli-Katipa- ra, Jessore district, presently in Bang- ladesh. His father Harish Chandra
Ray was a zamindar who appreciated education and had built up an extensive library at home. His mother, Bhuban- mohini Devi, was also well educated. This academic atmosphere at home made a lasting impact on Ray and he was captivated towards literature and history.
After clearing the entrance exami- nation in 1879, Prafulla Chandra was admitted to Metropolitan Institution (now Vidyasagar College), founded by Pandit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). His physics and chemistry classes were held at Presiden- cy College. Chemistry soon became his favourite subject and he set up a labora- tory at his home to carry out independ- ent experiment. Halfway through his BA studies, he won the Gilchrist Scholarship of Edinburgh University (1882). Ray completed his B. Sc. in 1885 and at the age of 26 was awarded a DSc. in inor- ganic chemistry (1887). He was elected
Manufacture of Fine Chemicals at Maniktala
Manufacture of Surgical Cotton
the Vice-President of the Edinburgh University Chemical Society in 1887.
As a young Indian scientist, Prafulla Chandra applied for a job in Indian Education Service (IES) but despite his accomplishments and recommendation letters, he remained jobless for a year. During this period he stayed with his friend, Jagadish Chandra Bose, and spent his time reading chemistry litera- ture. At that time jobs were limited and mostly reserved for British. Such was the racial discrimination that he was given only a temporary appointment
at the Presidency College as Assistant Professor at a meagre salary of Rs. 250, an absurdly low pay for a highly quali- fied person like him. Ray disagreed but eventually accepted the job. He moved to the Rajabazar Science College, Kolka- ta as the first Palit Professor of Chem- istry in the year 1916 and continued his work with renewed vigour. His research activities thrived in the laboratories of the University even though the facilities were inadequate.
As a student at the University of Ed-
Rajeev Singh
inburgh, he was impressed by the works of ancient western scientists. He wanted to explore the extensive contribution of ancient India scientists. He studied var- ious Indian texts of Susruta and Char- aka in detail and explored the world of Indian science developed hundreds of years ago. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray’s book, A History of Hindu Chem- istry is a critically acclaimed treatise on Rasashastra and Ayurveda. The first volume of the book was published in 1902 and the second in 1909. The book attracted the attention of western world towards Indian alchemy and led to the globalization of the fundamentals of Rasashastra.
Prafulla Chandra was an inorganic chemist with great interest in organic molecules and reactions, especially on the chemistry of thio-organic com- pounds. His initial work which made him famous was based on the chemistry of inorganic and organic nitrites; he was regarded as the “Master of Nitrites”. He continued his work on related com- pounds and thereon shifted to organic thio-compounds and their metal com- plexes. The metal which particularly fascinated him was mercury, perhaps because it has extensive use and im- portance in Indian medicine system of Ayurveda.
In 1894, he began analysis of certain rare Indian minerals in his quest to discover some new element to fill the gaps in Mendeleev’s Periodic table. He soon reported the first ever synthesis
of the previously unknown compound of Mercurous Nitrite Hg2(NO2)2. In his autobiography he narrated it as “the discovery of mercurous nitrite opened a
Master of Nitrites:
Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray
August 2020
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