JimmieSears JimmieSears's blog : A biography of Su Dongpo

In addition, Taoists also strive to pursue the "outer elixir", also known as the "alchemist elixir", that is, the elixir of immortality. Like European alchemists, Chinese Taoist priests sought "alchemy" to turn low-grade metals into pure gold and to rejuvenate and restore youth. Like European alchemists, Chinese Taoist priests mainly use mercury compounds for refining. Because of the special quality of mercury, like the luster of metal, its weight is large, its specific gravity is close to that of gold (atomic weight is 200 and 197 respectively), it is easier to flow, and metal objects such as gold and copper are mixed by contact, as well as interesting changes such as gas, powder and liquid. It is believed that it is the easiest raw material to refine into artificial gold. In the era of Su Dongpo, Chinese alchemy was mostly influenced by Arabia, just like Europe. But in the Han Dynasty, there are records that some Chinese succeeded in refining gold, and we think it was probably made with gold compounds. In the Jin Dynasty, Ge Hong, a Taoist priest, once said that gold and mercury could be used to make medicine to delay aging or death. He said, "All plants and trees are burned to ashes, while cinnabar is burned into mercury, and the accumulation of mercury turns into cinnabar, which is far away from the plants and trees, so it can make people live forever." He also said that the elixir was divided into nine grades, with different effects according to the refining process. The most refined person becomes an immortal in three days after taking it, and the least one takes three years. The raw materials for alchemy are cinnabar, alum, realgar (arsenic trisulfide), magnetite, and Zeng Qing. He Jing, the author of Chun Ying Ji Wen, whose father was recommended by Su Dongpo to be an official, once wrote a chapter about the elixir of immortality, which was very popular at that time. Several of the people mentioned by He Hui have already been mentioned in this book, and several others are relatives of He Peng, among which several stories are based on the author's experience. This book and a book called Su Shen Liang Fang (which is said to be co-edited by Su Dongpo and Shen Kuo) have recorded all the methods of refining cinnabar. After reading those stories and alchemy methods, you will get the following impression. There is always an alchemy furnace, and the alchemist refines it with mercury, sulfur, copper, silver, arsenic, alloys, nitrates, or saltpeter. Maybe they'll try gold sulfide. Mercuric sulfide (cinnabar) and gold sulfide can be used as red pigments. Various types of amalgam are also taken as medicine. According to unreliable records at that time, many Taoist priests had a secret recipe for turning steel into gold. There must have been a purple-red gold compound, cast into various utensils, and once made a fortune. It is also possible that a Taoist priest smeared mercury on bronze vessels and sold them as silver to ignorant villagers. Naturally, warehouse rack manufacturer , it is not difficult for them to fuse gold and mercury. They also mix sulfur and mercury, which is called "gold", also known as "dead sulfur". There is a story about a Taoist priest who could make real gold, and the merchants in Kyoto could not find out that it was a forgery. Because of Ho Peng's account, I believe that the Taoist priest used gold ore, from which he could extract gold. One of the tricks is that the Taoist priest said that he used a kind of copper sand, so the idea of changing copper into gold naturally caused a sensation. He was able to turn copper into gold to a relative of He Jing. He said that the ore was copper, and he said that he carried it in the form of copper sand, not pure copper, because pure copper was in danger of being stolen on the way. The ore was heated over the fire, but it did not melt. When the Taoist priest put a little white powder in the pot, it turned into gold. The story of a Taoist priest goes like this: a Taoist priest and two friends decided to go their separate ways a few years ago and agreed to meet somewhere ten years later. They split up in the middle of this period to seek the secret of "Taoist Dan". When we meet again, we will share this secret. The man who found the secret told others that he had not become a wealthy businessman himself, but had become a monk. Here's what happened to him. When several friends meet in a designated place, they compare the results they seek. The Taoist priest who had become a monk told his friend that he had got the magic formula, but the refined product still contained impurities and was not pure enough. A friend said that he had got a powder that could remove impurities. As long as they add this powder, they can refine pure gold. Several friends said, "Let's go to Kyoto.". It is said that Luanjia Gold Shop in Kyoto is the largest gold shop in China. If we can stand their test, our secret is right. They took ten taels of their own gold for sale. The shopkeeper checked, weighed and burned the gold, and then paid for it at the price of real gold. Friends are very happy, so successful, congratulate each other. They said to each other, "Now we can become immortals.". If we don't want to give up the world of mortals, we can use this money to eat, drink and play. Let's refine another one hundred and two points. That night, everyone drank a lot and was a little drunk. Put the copper ore in the alchemy furnace and go to sleep. During the night, copper water splashed and caused a fire to burn the house. The three friends were still drunk, and the fire brigade had arrived. I didn't sleep too deeply and escaped from the flames. I was afraid of being arrested, and I was good at swimming, so I swam to the opposite river and swam down the river. I expected to climb ashore after the gate was locked. When I was in the water, I prayed to God, and I repented, saying that I was determined to become a monk, not to do this again, and never to refine gold for myself. If I want to build a temple to raise money, I must refine it, but I must first ask God for permission. This is why the Taoist priest could not reveal his alchemy, but if he did good, he would be happy to donate a hundred taels. One of his friends was burned to death, the other was arrested by the authorities, and soon died of his wounds. Su Dongpo was particularly interested in various mercuric sulfide agents. Because mercury was known to be toxic, he was particularly alert when he experimented with the drugs. Because the secret of the manufacture of those drugs is unknown, no one knows what is in them. A contemporary of Dongpo recorded the death of a man who swallowed a mercurized medicine because he wanted to test a prescription in front of the emperor. Maybe he was going to take mercurous oxide, but he took mercuric chloride by mistake. Moreover, Taoists also experimented with other chemicals, such as saltpeter, saltpeter and other drugs, and even extracted lime from stalactites to eat, sometimes causing ulcers. Su Dongpo himself ate two other foods, which were said to be the food of immortals, namely Fu Ling and sesame. Sesame seeds are oily and contain a certain amount of protein, which naturally has food value. But I kind of believe that this kind of thing is considered to be the food of immortals, mainly because Taoist priests live in the mountains and it is not easy to find other food. The farther the plant grows, the more different it is from ordinary grains, the more it will be regarded as immortal food. omracking.com

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