Elixir for immortality8/3/2023 However, enthusiasm for this formula did not wane over the centuries. Instead, what they had developed was both highly toxic and incredibly corrosive. 1Ĭhemists were overjoyed at the news of the liquid gold, believing to have unlocked the formula for the elixir of life. The gold chloride could then be mixed with water to create a drinkable form of gold. The formula Al-Azdi developed was a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid that could dissolve pure gold and produce gold chloride. ![]() In approximately 700 CE, the Iranian chemist Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan Al-Azdi, who has been credited as the father of Arab chemistry and one of the founders of modern pharmacy (who was also, in written texts, referred to by Europeans as Geber), discovered how to make gold dissolve in liquid in a concoction that became referred to as aqua regia, or royal water. Drinkable gold was thought to be one potential avenue, with alchemists hoping its creation could lead to a formula for immortality. The rise of alchemy as a field during this time also accelerated interest in the search for an elixir of life. In the medieval period in Europe, attention turned to the potential properties of gold if it was developed into a drinkable form. ![]() Alchemists eat it, and they enjoy longevity.” 1 More than 2000 years later in approximately 100 CE, the alchemist Wei Boyang continued to promote this belief, explaining, “Gold is the most valuable thing in the world because it is immortal and never gets rotten. In 2500 BCE, it was common in China to consume gold in the hopes of prolonging life, as gold’s ability to resist corrosion was believed to similarly help the body resist aging. ![]() Question: What formula did medieval chemists believe could unlock immortality?įor thousands of years, humans have been interested in the potential therapeutic benefits of consuming gold.
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