Page:A History of Hindu Chemistry Vol 1.djvu/145

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shield.[1] In short, European historians of chemistry have scarcely one word to say on the indebtedness of the Arabians to the Hindus, who contributed not a little to the making of a Rases, a Serapion, or an Avicenna, who, in turn, were the chief inspirers of the European iatro-chemists down to the 17th century.[2]

Prof Sachau, however, does justice to the claims of India.Prof. Sachau, the learned translator and editor of Albérúní's India, however, does justice to the
  1. Cf. "—les Arabes, héritiers et traducteurs de la science grecque."—Berthelot: "La Chimie au moyen âge," I., préface, ii. "Les sciences naturelles furent surtout étudiées aux ixe et xe siècles, dans la célèbre école des médecins syriens de Bagdad, attirés et protégés par leurs clients. Dioscoride, Galien, Paul d'E'gine furent ainsi traduits du grec en syriaque, puis en arabe; parfois même traduits directement dans cette derniere langue," ibid, iv. "Les califes recherchaient les savants syriens, à cause de leur habileté médicale…………or toute leur science venait des Grecs" ibid II., Introduction, iii.
  2. Speaking of Albert the Great and Roger Bacon, Kopp writes: "beide haben aus derselben Quelle, den Arabern, geschöpft." "Gesch. d. chem." I. 64. Draper equally ignores the contributions of the Hindus: e.g., "The teachers of the Saracens were the Nestorians and the Jews." "Hist. Intell. Dev. of Europe," Vol. I. p. 384, ed. 1896.