Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning in ancient China is generally a death of the rich. Poisoning occurs over time or swiftly, caused by consuming the coveted elixirs of immortality. Many contain arsenic, mercury and/or hallucinogens like fly agaric.
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The word elixir originates in medieval European alchemy meaning "a preparation by use of which it's sought to change metals to gold" (elixir stone or philosopher's stone) or "a drug or essence with the property of indefinitely prolonging life" (elixir of life; youth elixir).
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The term is extended to mean a sovereign remedy for disease, and the quintessence or soul of a thing; its kernel or secret principle. In modern usage, elixir is a pharmaceutical term for "A sweetened aromatic solution of alcohol and water, serving as a vehicle for medicine".
The first known case of Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning is Qin Shi Huang (Qin Shihuang) who dies in significant torment after drinking a mixture of liquid mercury and powdered jade. It's a mystery why the Emperor drinks the fatal brew.
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Qin Shihuang has a history of escaping assassination attempts only through extreme paranoia. He's known to make alchemists drink their own potions, then bury them alive to see if the potions work.
He travels with decoy carriages, which saves his life once, when assassins attack the wrong coach. In 211 BCE a large meteor hits earth in Dongjun on the Yellow River. Upon it someone writes: "The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided" (始皇死而地分).
The Emperor sends an imperial secretary to investigate this affront. As no one will confess to the deed, all who live nearby are killed, and the stone is pulverized to gravel. The next year, the prophecy comes true.
Chinese Alchemy
Chinese alchemy is a widespread methodology and study. As described in original texts like the Cantong qi, it delves into the body's role within cosmological processes, described by the agents of change known as Wuxing, five phases or five elements.
By studying and nurturing these elements, practitioners are guided towards achieving alignment and harmony with the Tao. Pao zhi (炮制; Pao chi) or Processing (Chinese materia medica) is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Alchemical processing methods include roasting with toxic metals such as mercury, lead and arsenic; honey or wine frying. Alchemy focuses on longevity, purification of spirit, mind and body. With Qigong and Wuxingheqidao one can attain long life, health and wisdom.
Dān 丹 "cinnabar; vermillion; elixir; alchemy" is the keyword for Chinese immortality elixirs. The red mineral cinnabar is used in ancient times to produce the pigment vermilion and the element mercury (shuǐyín 水銀 "watery silver").
In early China, alchemists and pharmacists are the same people. Chinese alchemy isn't introduced to the West until the early 20th century. Philosophies of many aspects greater as the whole, transmutation and use of toxins, are similar to alchemic practices elsewhere.
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While Asian, Egyptian, European and other philosophies are founded independently and develop according to regional history and culture, they share a desire to find an elixir of life. In all cultures alchemy is used in medicine.
The forerunner of alchemy is metallurgy. In healing, traditional Chinese medicine uses lower concentrations of cinnabar and mercury. Dan also means "pill; medicine" and is found in medical terms such as dānjì 丹劑 "pill preparation" and dānyào 丹藥 "pill medicine".
Chinese names for immortality elixirs have parallels in other cultures and languages. These include the Indo-Iranian soma or haoma; Sanskrit amrita; and Greek ambrosia.
The tradition of using toxic heavy metals in elixirs of immortality also appears in Ayurvedic medicine. Rasa shastra is the practice of adding metals and minerals to herbal medicines. Natural heavy metals in the body include cobalt, copper and manganese.
Rasayana is an alchemical method using mercury and cinnabar for longevity. Raseśvara is a tradition advocating the use of mercury to make the body immortal, and samskara is a process said to detoxify heavy metals and toxic herbs.
Certain metals such as gold and silver are edible and considered to have healing effects. Silver has microbial properties, and gold is once used to skin infections or seizures. Trace amounts of silver and gold occur naturally in the human body.
Historians of Chinese science Joseph Needham and Ho Peng-Yoke write about poisonous alchemical elixirs. Based upon early Chinese descriptions of elixir poisoning, they show a connection with known medical symptoms of mercury, lead and arsenic poisoning.
Historical descriptions include those of Jin Emperor Ai (d. 365) who "no longer knew what was going on around him" and Tang Emperor Wuzong (d. 846) who was "very irritable, losing all normal self-control in joy or anger ... he could not speak for ten days at a time".
In the case of Wuzong distinctive psychological effects of mercury poisoning appear. They progress from "abnormal irritability to idiotic, melancholic, or manic conditions".
Needham and Lu's research shows many alchemical mineral preparations give an "initial exhilaration" or transient sense of well-being, usually involving weight loss and increased libido.
These preliminary tonic effects can act to hook the user into deeper forms of intoxication, risky experiments and substance overdose. Even the possibility of a painful death does not dissuade adamant and extremely rich elixir hunters.
Chinese medical texts record realgar (arsenic disulphide) and orpiment (arsenic trisulphide) as aphrodisiacs and fertility stimulants. Cinnabar and sulfur elixirs aid longevity, avert hunger and "lighten the body" (qīngshēn 輕身, a common description of elixir effects).
Wine is prescribed with elixir pills, sometimes to relieve effects of poisoning. Elixir alchemy might also include hallucinogenic drugs. The busi zhi yao 不死之藥 "drug of deathlessness" is thought to be fly agaric and busi zhi shu 不死之樹 "tree of deathlessness" is birch.
Zhou Ziliang, student of the eminent Tao Hongjing commits ritual suicide by alchemical elixir poisoning. At the time of his death he's twenty years old and renowned as a visionary. He believes the Gods are calling him to leave his body early and join them as an Immortal.
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According to research, the elixir taken by Zhou Ziliang to commit suicide "probably had hallucinogenic and toxic mushrooms" among other components. Toxic mushrooms are also a popular poisoning method in Nero's Rome.
The last recorded victim of Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning is Emperor Yongzheng (d. 1735 CE). For over two thousand years, fangshi method masters and Daoist alchemists persevere in the quest for the elixir of immortality.