Category Archives: Immortality Medicine

BOULDER, Colo., March 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowdy Mermaid, the functional beverage brand known for its delicious and healthful kombucha, today announced that it's entering a new category with the launch of its Adaptonic immunity beverages. The new sparkling tonics are crafted with luscious fruits, botanical herbs and immunity-supporting reishi mushroom extract, though from their incredibly delectable taste, you'd never know it! The launch of Adaptonic coincides with the release of a new Grapefruit Risekombucha flavor, the brand's first "energizing" kombucha, which, along with Adaptonic, will be available at Rocky Mountain Region Whole Foods Market retail locations. The majority of Rowdy Mermaid's other kombucha flavors will soon be available at all Whole Foods Market locations nationwide.

Rowdy Mermaid Launches New Adaptonic Sparkling Immunity Tonics and Expands Kombucha Distribution Nationwide

New Adaptonic Sparking Tonics Make Boosting Immunity Irresistibly Simple and Delicious

The functional beverage market is set to hit $46 billion by 20231, with sales of products with medicinal mushrooms up YoY 200-800%2. Additionally, according to the State of our Health syndicated tracker from Murphy Research, one in three nutrition-engaged consumers are explicitly trying to boost their immune system through their food, beverage and vitamin/supplement choices. This represents a 19% increase over 2019.

As the first sparkling adaptogen tonic powered by reishi mushroom extract, Rowdy Mermaid Adaptonic uniquely combines flavor and function to deliver the immunity-boosting deliciousness consumers are seeking, one beautiful, bubbly can at a time. The immunity-enhancing benefits come from harnessing the qualities of a fiber derived from reishi mushrooms. Nicknamed the "mushroom of immortality," reishis are an immunity-strengthening marvel. While these mushrooms may be immunity powerhouses, Adaptonic is made with reishi mushroom extract that delivers all of their perks, but with none of the mushroom taste. And, Rowdy Mermaid didn't stop with mushrooms. The brand upped the adaptogenic ante by combining the power of reishi extract with other functional ingredients like ashwagandha, matcha tea and holy basil.

Adaptonic is available in four tantalizingly tempting flavors:

All four varieties contain fewer than 25 calories and 6 grams of sugar per 12oz can (MSRP: $3.29/can) and are made with high quality organic ingredients. All Adaptonic flavors are also made with regenerative sugar, which aligns with the brand's goal to have a fully regenerative supply chain. Additionally, Ashwagandha Blackberry, Strawberry Holy Basil and Chamomile Lime flavors are caffeine-free.

"Rowdy Mermaid has always been about celebrating and democratizing the power of functional plant medicine, and our new Adaptonic sparkling immunity tonics beautifully deliver on this mission thanks to their botanic-boosted immunity and wellness benefits," said Jamba Dunn, CEO and founder of Rowdy Mermaid. "We revolutionized kombucha by delivering options that were less 'kombucha-y.' With the Adaptonic collection, we've turned our eye toward creating a new type of adaptogen-fueled functional beverage, leveraging our Rowdy energy, creativity, magic and passion to deliver sustainably sourced, immunity-boosting deliciousness."

The full Adaptonic line is now available on the Rowdy Mermaid website. It will also be available at Whole Foods Market locations in the Rocky Mountain region (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Utah) in mid-April, and nationwide at all Sprouts locations by the end of May.

The Rowdy Mermaid Kombuchaverse Grows with National Whole Foods Market Distribution

As the fastest-growing, U.S. kombucha brand, Rowdy Mermaid is continuing to expand not only its product offerings, but also its distribution footprint. In late March, kombucha lovers from coast-to-coast will be able to get their Rowdy Mermaid fix as the brand will be available in Whole Foods Market locations nationwide. While assortments will vary slightly by region, all stores will carry Alpine Lavender, Lion's Root, Rowdy Belly, Savory Peach, Strawberry Tonic and Watermelon Bloom flavors.

Launch of Grapefruit Rise Kombucha Flavor Offers A Fresh Take on Extra Energy

Rowdy Mermaid is continuing to grow its widely successful Kombucha line with the introduction of a new Grapefruit Rise flavor. This energizing offering perfectly blends sweet and zesty grapefruit with a touch of aromatic rosemary. With 100mg of added caffeine (just a skosh more than a cup of Joe) thanks to the amazingness that is green tea, Grapefruit Rise is the perfect option for those looking for an extra kick from their kombucha. Like all Rowdy Mermaid kombucha varieties, Grapefruit Rise is low on sugar, low on acid and high on flavor and function. It is available on the Rowdy Mermaid website and in all Rocky Mountain region Whole Foods locations.

All Rowdy Mermaid kombucha and Adaptonic flavors are available on the Rowdy Mermaid website. The functional beverage leader also has a Store Locator to help consumers find local retailers carrying Rowdy Mermaid products.

About Rowdy MermaidRowdy Mermaid's story began in 2012 when Jamba Dunn, the company's founder, began brewing kombucha in his garage. Encouraged by his young daughter, he was inspired to create a kombucha that wasn't so "kombucha-y," meaning less sugary, less vinegary, less acidic and safer. The result was Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha, a scientifically controlled, function-forward kombucha done differently, brewed by doing the right thing across all things. The brand prides itself on turning kombucha skeptics into kombucha evangelists, and doing so while supporting the plants, processes, people and communities in its supply chain. Today, Rowdy Mermaid is a leading functional beverage brand committed more than ever to giving people sustainably sourced deliciousness that's also infused with functional plant medicine. Get rowdy with us at rowdymermaid.com and @rowdymermaid on Instagram.

1Source: https://www.glanbianutritionals.com/en/news-insights/case-study/us-functional-beverage-market-insights-2020#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20functional%20beverage%20market,according%20to%20data%20from%20Euromonitor.&text=According%20to%20Mintel's%20report%20%E2%80%9CNutrition,satis2Source: https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2017/12/15/Adaptogens-are-here-to-stay-but-marketing-them-effectively-will-require-creativity-and-innovation-say-experts

Media Contact:Jenn TillissSchroderHaus[emailprotected]303-818-2485

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Rowdy Mermaid Makes Wellness Irresistible with New Adaptonic Sparkling Immunity Tonics and Expands Kombucha Distribution Nationwide - PRNewswire

Foo Fighters discussed how Love Dies Young, the closing track on their latest album,Medicine at Midnight, started out as a jokeamong the band members before they realized itwas a worthwhile song.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, frontman Dave Grohl said"Love Dies Young" started out as the kind of strummy sort of song weve done a million times and was unlikely to appear on an album that was all about doing things differently until drummer Taylor Hawkins asked a question.

Taylor was like, What drum beat should we do? How about a 16th-note thing? Grohl said. And I went, Fuck that! What about an Abbaside-high-hat-disco thing? Weve never messed with that before! And then the guitar riff turned into a [Queens] Keep Yourself Alive type of thing.

Guitarist Chris Shiflett said he added a Survivor element, too. The galloping rhythm part that I did in that song, its like Eye of the Tiger,' he explained. It was almost like a joke. But we listened back to it and we were like, Hmm that actually sounds pretty good!

Grohl continued: Each instrument we put on, we were just sitting on the couch laughing, because were doing the things were not supposed to do. Were not supposed to do the galloping flange guitar! Were not supposed to do the Abba beat! But were just like, Fuck, load it up, man! And then at the end of the day, we had something wed never done before.

Listen to Foo Fighters' Love Dies Young

He went on to say that, as a drummer, his songwriting process usually begins withthe rhythm section, but that the melody was the most important part of any composition.

That comes from growing up with Beatles records and sitting down with a chord book, trying to understand why those harmonies do what they do and why the melody moves the way it does, he said. Thats the Rubiks Cube, right? Screaming bloody murder and playing as many notes as you can, thats fun. But to me, the complicated puzzle of braiding those things together in a way that seems simple is the greatest challenge. Its like, Okay, great, Ive got a groove thats cool. Ive got riffs thats cool. But none of its going to work unless theres a fucking melody.

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The Foo Fighters Song That Started as a Joke - Ultimate Classic Rock

Who wants to live forever? This has been a dream for many people all around the world for a very long time. It was written about in several ancient texts, and legends and myths suggest some people even achieved the goal. While most would agree today that those stories are nothing more than fairy tales, things were different 2,000 years ago. And archaeologists have recently found a real example of an ancient Chinese elixir of life in Luoyang, Henan Province.

According to CGTN, Shi Jiazhen, head of the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Luoyang, told reporters that this is the first time that mythical 'immortality medicines' have been found in China. About 3.5 liters of the liquid were found in a bronze bottle in a noble familys Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) tomb. Perhaps the family had strong faith in the power of the liquid.

About 3.5 liters of the liquid, now said to be an ancient Chinese elixir of life, were found in a bronze bottle. ( Kaznews.kz)

Xinhua reports that the heady alcohol aroma led archaeologists to think the liquid was some kind of liquor when they found it last October. But it was something far more interesting. Lab results showed the liquid contains potassium nitrate and alunite. These two ingredients were staples in a Taoist elixir of life recipe. Today, potassium nitrate is primarily used in fertilizers, fireworks, gunpowder, and rockets. Alunite has also been used as a type of potash (fertilizer).

While those ingredients probably are not the best options for making an elixir meant to grant the drinker immortality, they are not the most surprising ingredients in ancient Chinese recipes for eternal life either. Wu Mingren has written that several ancient Chinese emperors and members of the nobility sought out Taoist alchemists,

who would provide them with some sort of substance that would supposedly give them immortality. The ingestion of such elixirs, however, certainly did not allow them to live forever. In many cases the elixirs, which contain extremely poisonous elements, (ironically) were responsible for the deaths of those who consumed them.

'Putting the miraculous elixir on the tripod' from Xingming guizhi (Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life) by Yi Zhenren, a Daoist text on internal alchemy published in 1615 (3rd year of the Wanli reign period of Ming dynasty). (Wellcome Images/ CC BY 4.0 )

The alchemists mixed different organic and inorganic compounds, since there was no set recipe for creating an elixir of immortality. One of the favored additions, however, was mercury. They were fascinated by it because it was a liquid metal at room temperature. For them, it suggested the metal had some spiritual significance. But just because its interesting doesnt mean it is intended for human consumption. In fact, mercury is extremely poisonous and can decrease cognitive function, cause kidney problems, weakness, and even death.

It may not have killed the person found in the tomb, unlike the heavily mercury-laden potions that almost undoubtedly took the lives of many Chinese emperors , Shi states that the discovery of the elixir of life found in the Luoyang tomb is of significant value for the study of ancient Chinese thoughts on achieving immortality and the evolution of Chinese civilization.

One of the most famous stories about the search for an elixir of life in ancient China is the tale of Qin Shi Huang . Chinas first emperor was so intent on cheating death that it is said he sent every scholar, magician, and wise man in the nation on a quest to find an elixir that would keep him from dying. But all he got for the extensive heartache, pain, paranoia, and pointless journeys and murders in his attempts at achieving immortality was death by mercury poisoning.

A portrait painting of Qin Shi Huangdi, first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, from an 18th-century album of Chinese emperors portraits. ( Public Domain )

Returning to the Luoyang tomb excavated in October, archaeologists found other artifacts alongside the fascinating liquid in the bronze pot. Clay painted pots and jade and bronze artifacts were also unearthed. Well-preserved human remains, probably the tombs owner, were also found.

The tomb itself measures 210 square meters (2260 sq. ft.) . Pan Fusheng, the archaeologist in charge of excavations, expressed the importance of the tomb and the discoveries within it to reporters. He said , The tomb provides valuable material for study of the life of Western Han nobles as well as the funeral rituals and customs of the period.

Excavating the tomb. ( Korrieri)

Top Image: A pair of bronze pots, one containing the first real example of an ancient Chinese elixir of life, were unearthed from a Western Han Dynasty tombin Luoyang, Henan Province. Source: VCG

By Alicia McDermott

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Elixir of Life Found: 2,000-Year-Old Bottles Contain First ...

In Chinese alchemy, elixir poisoning refers to the toxic effects from elixirs of immortality that contained metals and minerals such as mercury and arsenic. The official Twenty-Four Histories record numerous Chinese emperors, nobles, and officials who died from taking elixirs in order to prolong their lifespans. The first emperor to die from elixir poisoning was likely Qin Shi Huang (d. 210 BCE) and the last was Yongzheng (d. 1735 AD). Despite common knowledge that immortality potions could be deadly, fangshi and Daoist alchemists continued the elixir-making practice for two millennia.

The etymology of English elixir derives from Medieval Latin elixir, from Arabic (al-iksr), probably from Ancient Greek (xrion "a desiccative powder for wounds"). Elixir originated in medieval European alchemy meaning "A preparation by the use of which it was sought to change metals into gold" (elixir stone or philosopher's stone) or "A supposed drug or essence with the property of indefinitely prolonging life" (elixir of life). The word was figuratively extended to mean "A sovereign remedy for disease. Hence adopted as a name for quack medicines" (e.g., Daffy's Elixir) 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" (Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 2009). Outside of Chinese cultural contexts, English elixir poisoning usually refers to accidental contamination, such as the 1937 elixir sulfanilamide mass poisoning in the United States.

Dn "cinnabar; vermillion; elixir; alchemy" is the keyword for Chinese immortality elixirs. The red mineral cinnabar (dnsh lit. "cinnabar sand") was anciently used to produce the pigment vermilion (zhhng ) and the element mercury (shuyn "watery silver" or gng ).

According to the ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese, the etymology of Modern Standard Chinese dn from Old Chinese *tn (< *tlan?) "red; vermillion; cinnabar", gn in dngn from *tn-kn (< *tlan-klan?) "cinnabar; vermillion ore", and zhn from *tan "a red flag" derive from Proto-Kam-Sui *h-lan "red" or Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tja-n or *tya-n "red". The *t- initial and *t- or *k- doublets indicate that Old Chinese borrowed this item. (Schuessler 2007: 204).

Although the word dan "cinnabar; red" frequently occurs in oracle script from the late Shang Dynasty (c. 16001046 BCE) and bronzeware script and seal script from the Zhou Dynasty (1045256 BCE), paleographers disagree about the graphic origins of the logograph and its ancient variants and . Early scripts combine a dot or stroke (depicting a piece of cinnabar) in the middle of a surrounding frame, which is said to represent:

Many Chinese elixir names are compounds of dan, such as jndn (with "gold") meaning "golden elixir; elixir of immortality; potable gold" and xindn (with "Daoist immortal") "elixir of immortality; panacea", and shndn (with "spirit; god") "divine elixir". Bs zh yo "drug of deathlessness" was another early name for the elixir of immortality. Chinese alchemists would lindn (with "smelt; refine") "concoct pills of immortality" using a dndng (with "tripod cooking vessel; cauldron") "furnace for concocting pills of immortality". In addition, the ancient Chinese believed that other substances provided longevity and immortality, notably the lngzh "Ganoderma mushroom".

The transformation from chemistry-based waidan "external elixir/alchemy" to physiology-based neidan "internal elixir/alchemy" gave new analogous meanings to old terms. The human body metaphorically becomes a ding "cauldron" in which the adept forges the Three Treasures (essence, life-force, and spirit) within the jindan Golden Elixir within the dntin (with "field") "lower part of the abdomen".

In early China, alchemists and pharmacists were one and the same. Traditional Chinese medicine also used less concentrated cinnabar and mercury preparations, and dan means "pill; medicine" in general, for example, dnfng semantically changed from "prescription for elixir of immortality" to "medical prescription". Dan was lexicalized into medical terms such as dnj "pill preparation" and dnyo "pill medicine".

The Chinese names for immortality elixirs have parallels in other cultures and languages, for example, Indo-Iranian soma or haoma, Sanskrit amrita, and Greek ambrosia.

In Chinese history, the alchemical practice of concocting elixirs of immortality from metallic and mineral substances began circa the 4th century BCE in the late Warring states period, reached a peak in the 9th century CE Tang dynasty when five emperors died, and, despite common knowledge of the dangers, elixir poisoning continued until the 18th century Qing dynasty.

The earliest mention of alchemy in China occurs in connection with fangshi ("masters of the methods") specialists in cosmological and esoteric arts employed by rulers from the 4th century BCE (De Woskin 1981: 19).

The 3rd-century BCE Zhanguo Ce and Han Feizi both record a story about King Qingxiang of Chu (r. 298263 BCE) being presented a busi zhi yao "immortality medicine". As the chamberlain was taking the elixir into the palace, a guard asked if it was edible and when he answered yes, the guard grabbed and ate it. The king was angered and condemned the guard to death. A friend of the guard tried to persuade the king, saying, "After all the guard did ask the chamberlain whether it could be eaten before he ate it. Hence the blame attaches to the chamberlain and not to him. Besides what the guest presented was an elixir of life, but if you now execute your servant after eating it, it will be an elixir of death (and the guest will be a liar). Now rather than killing an innocent officer in order to demonstrate a guest's false claim, it would be better to release the guard." This logic convinced the king to let the guard live (Needham and Ho 1970: 316).

Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin dynasty (221206 BCE), feared death and spent the last part of his life seeking the elixir of life. He reportedly died from elixir poisoning (Wright 2001: 49). The first emperor also sent Xu Fu to sail an expeditionary fleet into the Pacific seeking the legendary Mount Penglai where the busi zhi shu "tree of deathlessness" grew, but they never returned.

Interest in elixirs of immortality increased during the Han dynasty (206 BC220 AD). Emperor Wu (15687 BCE) employed many fangshi alchemists who claimed they could produce the legendary substance. The Book of Han says that around 133 BCE the fangshi Li Shaojun said to Emperor Wu, "Sacrifice to the stove [zao ] and you will be able to summon ' things ' [i.e. spirits]. Summon spirits and you will be able to change cinnabar powder into yellow gold. With this yellow gold you may make vessels to eat and drink out of. You will then increase your span of life. Having increased your span of life, you will be able to see the [xian ] of [Penglai] that is in the midst of the sea. Then you may perform the sacrifices feng [] and shan [], and escape death." (tr. Waley 1930: 2).

Wei Boyang's c. 142 Cantong qi, which is regarded as the oldest complete alchemical book extant in any culture, influenced developments in elixir alchemy. It listed mercury and lead as the prime ingredients for elixirs, which limited later potential experiments and resulted in numerous cases of poisoning. It is quite possible that "many of the most brilliant and creative alchemists fell victim to their own experiments by taking dangerous elixirs" (Needham et al. 1976: 74). There is a famous story about animal testing of elixirs by Wei Boyang. Wei entered the mountains to prepare the elixir of immortality, accompanied by three disciples, two of whom were skeptical. When the alchemy was completed he said, "Although the gold elixir is now accomplished we ought first to test it by feeding it to a white dog. If the dog can fly after taking it then it is edible for man; if the dog dies then it is not." The dog fell over and died, but Wei and his disciple Yu took the medicine and immediately died, after which the two cautious disciples fled. Wei and Yu later revived, rejoiced in their faith, took more of the elixir and became immortals (Needham and Ho 1970: 322).

Elixir ingestion is first mentioned in the c. 81 BCE Discourses on Salt and Iron (Pregadio 2000: 166).

During the turbulent Six dynasties period (220589), self-experimentation with drugs became commonplace, and many people tried taking poisonous elixirs of immortality as well as the psychoactive drug Cold-Food Powder. At this time, Daoist alchemists began to record the often fatal side effects of elixirs. In an unusual case of involuntary elixir poisoning, Empress Jia Nanfeng (257300) was forced to commit suicide by drinking "jinxiaojiu" "wine with gold fragments" (Needham and Ho 1970: 326).

The Daoist scholar Ge Hong's c. 320 Baopuzi lists 56 chemical preparations and elixirs, 8 of which were poisonous, with visions from mercury poisoning the most commonly reported symptom (Needham et al. 1976: 8996).

The individuals who experimented with Six Dynasties alchemy often had different understandings and intentions. A single alchemical formula could be interpreted as being "suicidal, therapeutic, or symbolic and contemplative", and its implementation might be "a unique, decisive event or a repeated, ritual phantasmagoria" (Strickmann 1979: 192).

Emperor Ai of Jin (r. 361365) died at the age of twenty-five, as the result of his desire to avoid growing old. The Book of Jin says the emperor practiced bigu "grain avoidance" and consumed alchemical elixirs, but was poisoned from an overdose and "no longer knew what was going on around him" (Needham and Ho 1970: 317). In a sardonic sense, the emperor fulfilled his desire since the elixir "did actually prevent him from growing any older" (Ho 2000: 184).

Emperor Daowu (r. 371409), founder of the Northern Wei dynasty, was cautiously interested in alchemy and used condemned criminals for clinical trials of immortality elixirs (like Mithridates VI of Pontus r. 12063 BCE). The Book of Wei records that in 400, he instituted the office of the Royal Alchemist, built an imperial laboratory for the preparation of drugs and elixirs, and reserved the Western mountains for the supply of firewood (used in the alchemical furnaces). "Furthermore, he ordered criminals who had been sentenced to death to test (the products) against their will. Many of them died and (the experiments gave) no decisive result." (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 321).

Many texts from the Six dynasties period specifically warned about the toxicity of elixirs. For instance, the Shangqing School Daoist pharmacologist Tao Hongjing's 499 Zhen'gao (, Declarations of the Perfected) describes taking a White Powder elixir.

When you have taken a spatulaful of it, you will feel an intense pain in your heart, as if you had been stabbed there with a knife. After three days you will want to drink, and when you have drunk a full hu [about 50 liters] your breath will be cut off. When that happens, it will mean that you are dead. When your body has been laid out, it will suddenly disappear, and only your clothing will remain. Thus you will be an immortal released in broad daylight by means of his waistband. If one knows the name of the drug [or, perhaps, the secret names of its ingredients] he will not feel the pain in his heart, but after he has drunk a full hu he will still die. When he is dead, he will become aware that he has left his corpse below him on the ground. At the proper time, jade youths and maidens will come with an azure carriage to take it away. If one wishes to linger on in the world, he should strictly regulate his drinking during the three days when he feels the pain in his heart. This formula may be used by the whole family. (tr. Strickmann 1979: 137138)

Within this context, Strickmann says a prospective Daoist alchemist must have been strongly motivated by faith and a firm confidence in his posthumous destiny, in effect, "he would be committing suicide by consecrated means." Tao Hongjing's disciple Zhou Ziliang (497516) had repeated visions of Maoshan divinities who said his destiny was to become an immortal, and instructed him to commit ritual suicide with a poisonous elixir composed of mushrooms and cinnabar (Strickmann 1994: 40). In 517, Tao edited the Zhoushi mingtong ji (Records of Mr. Zhou's Communications with the Unseen) detailing his disciples visions.

The Liang dynasty founder Emperor Wu (r. 502549) was cautious about taking elixirs of immortality. He and Tao Hongjing were old friends, and the History of the Southern Dynasties says the emperor requested him to study elixir alchemy. After Tao had learned the secret art of making elixirs, he was worried about the shortage of materials. "So the emperor supplied him with gold, cinnabar, copper sulphate, realgar, and so forth. When the process was accomplished the elixirs had the appearance of frost and snow and really did make the body feel lighter. The emperor took an elixir and found it effective." (tr. Needham et al. 1976: 120). Tao spent his last years working on different elixirs and presented three to the emperor, who had refused immortality elixirs from Deng Yu (who claimed to have lived 30 years without food, only consuming pieces of mica in stream water).

Emperor Wenxuan (r. 550559) of the Northern Qi dynasty was an early skeptic about immortality elixirs. He ordered alchemists to make the jiuhuan jindan (Ninefold Cyclically Transformed Elixir), which he kept in a jade box, and explained, "I am still too fond of the pleasures of the world to take flight to the heavens immediatelyI intend to consume the elixir only when I am about to die." (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 320).

At least five Tang dynasty (618907) emperors were incapacitated and killed by immortality elixirs. In the 9th century Tang imperial order of succession, two father-son emperor pairs died from elixirs: first Xianzong (r. 805820) and Muzong (r. 820824), then Wuzong (r. 840846) and Xuanzong (r. 847859). In historic recurrences, the newly enthroned emperor understandably executed the Daoist alchemists whose elixirs had killed his father, and then subsequently came to believe in other charlatans enough to consume their poisonous elixirs (Ho 2000: 184).

Emperor Xianzong (r. 805820) indirectly lost his life due to elixir poisoning. The Xu Tongzhi (Supplement to the Historical Collections) says, "Deluded by the sayings of the alchemists, [Xianzong] ingested gold elixirs and his behaviour became very abnormal. He was easily offended by those officials whom he daily met, and thus the prisons were left with little vacant space." (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 317). In response, an official wrote an 819 memorial to the throne that said:

Of late years, however, (the capital) has been overrun by a host of pharmacists and alchemists ... recommending one another right and left with ever wilder and more extravagant claims. Now if there really were immortals, and scholars possessing the Tao, would they not conceal their names and hide themselves in mountain recesses far from the ken of man? ... The medicines of the sages of old were meant to cure bodily illnesses, and were not meant to be taken constantly like food. How much less so these metallic and mineral substances which are full of burning poison! ... Of old, as the Li Chi says, when the prince took physic, his minister tasted it first, and when a parent was sick, his son did likewise. Ministers and sons are in the same position. I humbly pray that all those persons who have elixirs made from transformed metals and minerals, and also those who recommend them, may be compelled to consume (their own elixirs) first for the space of one year. Such an investigation will distinguish truth from falsehood, and automatically clarify the matter by experiment. (abridged, tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 318)

After the emperor rejected this appeal, the palace eunuchs Wang Shoucheng and Chen Hongzhi assassinated him in 820.

When Xianzong's son and successor Emperor Muzong (r. 820824) came to the throne, he executed the alchemists who had poisoned his father, but later began to take immortality elixirs himself. An official wrote Muzong an 823 memorial that warned:

Medicines are for use against illnesses, and should not be taken as food. ... Even when one is ill medicines must be used with great circumspection; how much more so when one is not ill. If this is true for the common people how much more so will it be for the emperor! Your imperial predecessor believed the nonsense of the alchemists and thus became ill; this your majesty already knows only too well. How could your majesty still repeat the same mistake? (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 319)

The emperor appreciated this reasoning but soon afterwards fell ill and died from poisoning. Palace eunuchs supposedly used poisonous elixirs to assassinate Muzong's young successor Emperor Jingzong (r. 824827) (Needham et al. 1976: 151, 182).

The next Tang emperor to die from elixir poisoning was Wuzong (r. 840846). According to the Old Book of Tang, "The emperor [Wuzong] favoured alchemists, took some of their elixirs, cultivated the arts of longevity and personally accepted (Taoist) talismans. The medicines made him very irritable, losing all normal self-control in joy or anger; finally when his illness took a turn for the worse he could not speak for ten days at a time." Chancellor Li Deyu and others requested audiences with the emperor, but he refused and subsequently died in 846 (Needham and Ho 1970: 319).

Wuzong's successor Emperor Xunzong (r. 846849) astonishingly also died of elixir poisoning. Xunzong made himself the patron of some Daoists who concocted immortality elixirs of vegetable origin, possibly because his father Wuzong had died from metallic and mineral elixir poisoning (Needham et al. 1976: 146). The New Book of Tang records that the emperor received a wine tincture of ivy (, Hedera helix) that the Daoist adept Jiang Lu claimed would turn white hair black and provide longevity. However, when the emperor heard that many people died a violent death after drinking ivy tincture, he stopped taking it. Jiang was publicly shamed and the emperor granted his request to search in the mountains for the right plant, but he never appeared again (Needham et al. 1976: 147). According to the 890 Dongguan zuoji (Record of Memorials from the Eastern Library), "A medical official, Li [Xuanbo], presented to the emperor [Xuanzong] cinnabar which had been heated and subdued by fire, in order to gain favour from him. Thus the ulcerous disease of the emperor was all attributable to his crime." (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 319).

Besides emperors, many Tang literati were interested in alchemy. Both Li Bai (Waley 1950: 5556) and Bai Juyi (Ho, Goh, and Parker 1974) wrote poems about the Cantong qi and alchemical elixirs. Other poets, including Meng Haoran, Liu Yuxi, and Liu Zongyuan also referred to elixir compounding in their works (Pregadio 2000: 171).

The influential Tang physician and alchemist Sun Simiao's c. 640 alchemical Taiqing zhenren dadan (Great Purity Essentials of Elixir Manuals for Oral Transmission) recommends 14 elixir formulas he found successful, most of which seem poisonous, containing mercury and lead, if not arsenic, as ingredients (Needham et al. 1976: 133). Sun's medical c. 659 Qianjin yifang (Supplement to the Thousand Golden Remedies) categorically states that mercury, realgar, orpiment, sulphur, gold, silver, and vitriol are poisonous, but prescribed them in much larger amounts for elixirs than for medicines. In contrast to drinking soluble arsenic (as in groundwater), when powdered arsenic is eaten "astonishing degrees of tolerance can be achieved", and Sun Simiao might have thought that when human beings reached to a level "approaching that of the immortals their bodies would no longer be susceptible to poison" (Needham et al. 1976: 135).

Tang alchemists were well aware of elixir poisoning. The c. 8th9th century Zhenyuan miaodao yaole (Synopsis of the Essentials of the Mysterious Dao of the True Origin) lists 35 common mistakes in elixir preparation: cases where people died from eating elixirs made from cinnabar, mercury, lead, and silver; cases where people suffered from boils on the head and sores on the back by ingesting cinnabar prepared by roasting together mercury and sulphur, and cases where people became seriously ill through drinking melted "liquid lead" (Needham and Ho 1970: 330). The c. 850 Xuanjie lu (Record of Mysterious Antidotes)which is notable as the world's oldest printed book on a scientific subjectrecommends a potent herbal composition that serves both as an elixir and as an antidote for common elixir poisoning (Needham and Ho 1970: 335). The procedure to make Shouxian wuzi wan (Five-herbs Immortality-safeguarding Pills) is to take 5 ounces each of Indian gooseberry, wild raspberry, dodder, five-flavor berry, and broadleaf plantain and pound them into flour. Mix it with boxthorn juice and false daisy juice and dry. Heat almonds and good wine in a silver vessel, and add foxglove, tofu, and "deer glue". Combine this with the five herbs, and dry into small pills. The usual dosage is 30 pills a day taken with wine, but one should avoid eating pork, garlic, mustard, and turnips when taking the medicine (Needham and Ho 1970: 335).

During the Tang period, Chinese alchemists divided into two schools of thought about elixir poisoning. The first altogether ignored the poison danger and considered the unpleasant symptoms after taking an elixir as signs of its efficacy. The c. 6th century Taiqing shibi ji (Records of the Rock Chamber) described away the side effects and recommended methods of bringing relief.

After taking an elixir, if your face and body itch as though insects were crawling over them, if your hands and feet swell dropsically, if you cannot stand the smell of food and bring it up after you have eaten it, if you feel as though you were going to be sick most of the time, if you experience weakness in the four limbs, if you have to go often to the latrine, or if your head or stomach violently achedo not be alarmed or disturbed. All these effects are merely proofs that the elixir you are taking is successfully dispelling your latent disorders. (tr. Needham and Lu 1974: 283)

Many of these symptoms are characteristic of metallic poisoning: formication, edema, and weakness of the extremities, later leading to infected boils and ulcers, nausea, vomiting, gastric and abdominal pain, diarrhea, and headaches (Needham and Lu 1974: 283). For relieving the side-effects when the elixir takes effect, the Taiqing shibi ji recommends that one should take hot and cold baths, and drink a mixture of scallion, soy sauce, and wine. If that does not bring relief, then one should combine and boil a hornets' nest, spurge, Solomon's seal, and ephedra into a medicine and take one dose (Needham and Ho 1970: 331).

The second school of alchemists, admitted that some metal and mineral elixir constituents were poisonous and tried either to neutralize them or to replace them with less dangerous herbal substances (Needham et al. 1976: 182). For instance, the 8th-century Zhang zhenren jinshi lingsha lun (The Adept Zhang's Discourse on Metals, Minerals, and Cinnabar) emphasized the poisonous nature of gold, silver, lead, mercury, and arsenic, and described witnessing many cases of premature death brought about by consuming cinnabar. Zhang believed however that the poisons could be rendered harmless by properly choosing and combining adjuvant and complimentary ingredients; for example gold should always be used together with mercury, while silver can only be used when combined with gold, copper carbonate, and realgar for the preparation of the jindan Golden Elixir (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 331). Many Tang alchemical writers returned to the fashion of using obscure synonyms for ingredients, perhaps because of the alarming number of elixir poisonings, and the desire to dissuade amateur alchemists from experimenting on themselves (Needham et al. 1976: 138). By the end of the Yuan dynasty (12711368), the more cautious alchemists had generally changed the elixirs ingredients from minerals and metals to plants and animals (Ho and Lisowski 1997: 39).

The late Tang or early Song Huangdi jiuding shendan jingjue (Explanation of the Yellow Emperor's Manual of the Nine-Vessel Magical Elixir) says, "The ancient masters (lit. sages) all attained longevity and preserved their lives (lit. bones) by consuming elixirs. But later disciples (lit. scholars) have suffered loss of life and decay of their bones as the result of taking them." The treatise explains the secret ancient methods for rendering elixir ingredients harmless by treating them with wine made from chastetree leaves and roots, or with saltpeter and vinegar. Another method of supposedly removing the poison from mercury was to put it in three-year-old wine, add sal ammoniac and boil it for 100 days (Needham and Ho 1970: 3323).

Two rulers died from elixir poisoning during the Five Dynasties period (907979) of political turmoil after the overthrow of the Tang dynasty. Zhu Wen or Emperor Taizu (r. 907912), the founder of the Later Liang dynasty, became seriously incapacitated as a result of elixir poisoning, and fell victim to an assassination plot. Li Bian or Emperor Liezu (r. 937943), the founder of the Southern Tang kingdom, took immortality elixirs that made him irritable and deathly ill (Needham et al. 1976: 180).

The Daoist adept Chen Tuan (d. 989) advised two emperors that they should not worry about elixirs but direct their minds to improving the state administration, Chai Rong or Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou in 956, and then Emperor Taizu of Song in 976 (Needham et al. 1976: 194).

After its heyday in the Tang dynasty Daoist alchemy continued to flourish during the Song dynasty (9601279) period. However, since six Tang emperors and many court officials died from elixir poisoning, Song alchemists exercised more caution, not only in the composition of the elixirs themselves, but also in attempts to find pharmaceutical methods of counteracting the toxic effects. The number of ingredients used in elixir formulas was reduced and there was a tendency to return to the ancient and difficult terminology of the Cantongqi, perhaps to conceal the processes from rash and ignorant operators. Psycho-physiological neidan alchemy became steadily more popular than laboratory waidan alchemy (Needham et al. 1976: 208).

During the Song dynasty, the practice of consuming metallic elixirs was not confined to the imperial court and expanded to anyone wealthy enough to pay. The author and official Ye Mengde (10771148) described how two of his friends had died from elixirs of immortality in one decade. First, Lin Yanzhen, who boasted about his health and muscular strength, took an elixir for three years, "Whereupon ulcers developed in his chest, first near the hairs as large as rice-grains, then after a couple of days his neck swelled up so that chin and chest seemed continuous." Lin died after ten months of suffering, and his doctors discovered cinnabar powder had accumulated in his pus and blood. Second, whenever Xie Renbo "heard of anyone who had some cinnabar subdued by fire he went after it, caring nothing about the distance, and his only fear was that he would not have enough." He also developed ulcers on the chest. Although his friends noticed changes in his appearance and behavior, Xie did not recognize that he had been poisoned, "till suddenly it came upon him like a storm of wind and rain, and he died in a single night." (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 320)

The scientist and statesman Shen Kuo's 1088 Dream Pool Essays suggested that mercury compounds might be medicinally valuable and needed further studyforeshadowing the use of metallic compounds in modern medicine, such as mercury in salvarsan for syphilis or antimony for visceral leishmaniasis. Shen says his cousin once transformed cinnabar into an elixir, but one of his students mistakenly ate a leftover piece, became delirious, and died the next day.

Now cinnabar is an extremely good drug and can be taken even by a newborn baby, but once it has been changed by heat it can kill an (adult) person. If we consider the change and transformation of opposites into one another, since (cinnabar) can be changed into a deadly poison why should it not also be changed into something of extreme benefit? Since it can change into something which kills, there is good reason to believe that it may have the pattern-principle [li] of saving life; it is simply that we have not yet found out the art (of doing this). Thus we cannot deny the possibility of the existence of methods for transforming people into feathered immortals, but we have to be very careful about what we do. (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 327).

Su Shi (10371101), the Song dynasty scholar and pharmacologist, was familiar with the life-prolonging claims of alchemists, but wrote in a letter that, "I have recently received some cinnabar (elixir) which shows a most remarkable colour, but I cannot summon up enough courage to try it." (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 320).

The forensic medical expert Song Ci was familiar with the effects of metal poisoning, and his c. 1235 Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified handbook for coroners gives a test for mercury poisoning: plunge a piece of gold into the intestine or tissues and see if a superficial amalgam forms. He also describes the colic, cramps, and discharge of blood from arsenic poisoning, and gives several antidotes including emetics.

Ming dynasty (13681644) authorities strongly disapproved of immortality elixirs, but the Jiajing Emperor (r. 15211567) supposedly died from consuming them. The emperor was interested in the art of immortality and put great confidence in Daoist physicians, magicians, and alchemists. One named Wang Jin , who was appointed a Physician-in-Attendance in the Imperial Academy of Medicine, convinced the emperor that eating and drinking from vessels made of alchemical gold and silver would bring about immortality, but it only resulted in his death. Wang fled but was caught and exiled to the frontiers in 1570 (Needham et al. 1976: 212).

Li Shizhen's classic 1578 Compendium of Materia Medica discusses the historical tradition of producing gold and cinnabar elixirs, and concludes, "(the alchemists) will never realise that the human body, which thrives on water and the cereals, is unable to sustain such heavy substances as gold and other minerals within the stomach and intestines for any length of time. How blind it is, in the pursuit of longevity, to lose one's life instead!" (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 325326). In another section, Li criticizes alchemists and pharmacologists for perpetuating the belief in mercury elixirs.

I am not able to tell the number of people who since the Six Dynasties period (3rd to 6th centuries) so coveted life that they took (mercury), but all that happened was that they impaired their health permanently or lost their lives. I need not bother to mention the alchemists, but I cannot bear to see these false statements made in pharmacopoeias. However, while mercury is not to be taken orally, its use as a medicine must not be ignored. (tr. Needham and Ho 1970: 325326)

The Qing dynasty Yongzheng Emperor (r. 17221735) was the last Chinese ruler known to die from elixir poisoning. He was a superstitious man, affected by portents and omens, and a firm believer in Daoist longevity techniques. Taking immortality elixirs is thought to have caused his sudden death in 1735 (Zelin 2002: 229).

The Chinese tradition of using toxic heavy metals in elixirs of immortality has historical parallels in Ayurvedic medicine. Rasa shastra is the practice of adding metals and minerals to herbal medicines, rasayana is an alchemical tradition that used mercury and cinnabar for lengthening lifespan, rasevara is a tradition that advocated the use of mercury to make the body immortal, and samskara is a process said to detoxify heavy metals and toxic herbs.

The historians of Chinese science Joseph Needham and Ho Peng-Yoke wrote a seminal article about poisonous alchemical elixirs (1959, 1970). Based upon early Chinese descriptions of elixir poisoning, they decisively demonstrated a close correspondence with the known medical symptoms of mercury poisoning, lead poisoning, and arsenic poisoning. Compare the historical descriptions 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" with the distinctive psychological effects of mercury poisoning: progressing from "abnormal irritability to idiotic, melancholic, or manic conditions" (1970: 327). Needham and his collaborators further discussed elixir poisoning in the Science and Civilisation in China series, particularly Needham and Lu Gwei-djen (1974), and Needham, Ho, and Lu (1976).

Although Chinese elixir poisoning may lead some to dismiss Chinese alchemy as another example of human follies in history, Ho Peng-Yoke and F. Peter Lisowski note its positive aspect upon Chinese medicine. The caution given to elixir poisoning later led Chinese alchemy to "shade imperceptibly" into iatrochemistry, the preparation of medicine by chemical methods, "in other words chemotherapy" (1997: 39).

A recent study found that Chinese emperors lived comparatively short lives, with a mean age at death of emperors at 41.3, which was significantly lower than that of Buddhist monks at 66.9 and traditional Chinese doctors at 75.1. Causes of imperial death were natural disease (66.4%), homicide (28.2%), drug toxicity (3.3%), and suicide (2.1%). Homicide resulted in a significantly lower age of death (mean age 31.1) than disease (45.6), suicide (38.8), or drug toxicity (43.1, mentioning Qin Shi Huang taking mercury pills of immortality). Lifestyles seem to have been a determining factor, and 93.2% of the emperors studied were overindulgent in drinking alcohol, sexual activity, or both (Zhao et al. 2006: 1295). The study does not refer to the Chinese belief that the arsenic sulphides realgar and orpiment, frequently used in immortality elixirs, had aphrodisiac properties (Needham and Lu 1974: 285).

A significant question remains unanswered. If the insidious dangers of alchemical elixir poisoning were common knowledge, why did people continue to consume them for centuries? Joseph Needham and his collaborators suggested three hypothetical explanations, and Michel Strickmann proposed another.

Needham and Lu's first explanation is that many alchemical mineral preparations were capable of giving an "initial exhilaration" or transient sense of well-being, usually involving weight loss and increased libido. These preliminary tonic effects could have acted as a kind of "bait" inveigling an elixir-taker deeper into substance intoxication, even to the point of death (1974: 282). Chinese medical texts recorded that realgar (arsenic disulphide) and orpiment (arsenic trisulphide) were aphrodisiacs and stimulated fertility, while cinnabar and sulphur elixirs increased longevity, averted hunger, and "lightened the body" (namely, qngshn , which is a common description of elixir effects) (1974: 285).

Wine, as mentioned above, was both prescribed to be drunk when taking elixir pills and to relieve the unpleasant side-effects of elixir poisoning. Needham and Lu further suggest the possibility that elixir alchemy included hallucinogenic drugs, tentatively identifying the busi zhi yao "drug of deathlessness" as fly-agaric and busi zhi shu "tree of deathlessness" as birch (1974: 117). The elixir that Tao Hongjing's disciple Zhou Ziliang took to commit suicide "probably had hallucinogenic and toxic mushrooms" (1974: 296). In the present day, realgar wine is traditionally consumed as part of the Dragon Boat Festival.

The apparent incorruptibility of an elixir-taker's corpse is Needham and Lu's second explanation for the persistent belief in immortality elixirs. They suggest that in some cases a body did not decompose because the deceased had died from mercury or arsenic poisoning, which is forensically known to often preserve a corpse from decay. For a believer in Daoist immortality drugs, even when an elixir-taker had unmistakably died, if the corpse was comparatively undecomposed, that could be interpreted as proof that the adept had become a xian immortal, as well as evidence for the alchemical elixir's efficacy. (1974: 298).

Terminal incorruptibility was an ancient Chinese belief associated with jade, gold, and cinnabar. The Baopuzi says, "When gold and jade are inserted into the nine orifices, corpses do not decay. When salt and brine are absorbed into flesh and marrow, dried meats do not spoil. So when men ingest substances which are able to benefit their bodies and lengthen their days, why should it be strange that (some of these) should confer life perpetual?" The abolition of decay was believed to demonstrate the power of elixirs, "the corruptible had put on incorruptibility" (Needham and Lu 1974: 284). Chinese jade burial suits are a better known example of using a mineral to preserve corpses.

There is a possibility that Sun Simiao (above) died from taking mercury elixirs (Needham and Ho 1970: 330). According to Sun's hagiography in the 10th-century Xuxian zhuan (Further Biographies of the Immortals), after his death in 682 there was no visible sign of putrefaction, "After more than a month had passed there was no change in his appearance, and when the corpse was raised to be placed in the coffin it was as light as (a bundle of) empty clothes." (tr. Needham and Lu 1974:298).

The incorruptibility stories about elixir users were not all myth, and recent archeological evidence showed that the ancient Chinese knew how "to achieve an almost perpetual conservation". The 1972 excavation of a tomb at Mawangdui discovered the extremely well-preserved body of Xin Zhui or Lady Dai, which resembled that of "a person who had died only a week or two before" (Needham and Lu 1974: 303304). A subsequent autopsy on her corpse found "abnormally high levels" of mercury and lead in her internal organs (Brown 2002: 213).

Needham and Lu's third justification for taking poisonous elixirs is a drug-induced "temporary death", possibly a trance or coma. In the classic legend (above) about Wei Boyang drinking an elixir of immortality, he appears to die, subsequently revives, and takes more elixir to achieve immortality.

The Baopuzi describes a Five Mineral-based multicolored Ninefold Radiance Elixir that can bring a corpse back to life: "If you wish to raise a body that has not been dead for fully three days, bathe the corpse with a solution of one spatula of the blue elixir, open its mouth, and insert another spatula full; it will revive immediately." (tr. Ware 1966:82).

A Tang Daoist text prescribes taking an elixir in doses half the size of a millet grain, but adds, "If one is sincerely determined, and dares to take a whole spatula-full all at once, one will temporarily die [zns ] for half a day or so, and then be restored to life like someone waking from sleep. This however is perilous in the extreme." (tr. Needham and Lu 1974: 295).

Michel Strickmann, a scholar of Daoist and Buddhist studies, analyzed the well-documented Shangqing School's alchemy in the Maoshan revelations and in the life of Tao Hongjing, and concluded that scholars need to reexamine the Western stereotype of "accidental elixir poisoning" that supposedly applied to "misguided alchemists and their unwitting imperial patrons". Since Six Dynasties and Tang period Daoist literature thoroughly, "even rapturously", described the deadly toxic qualities of many elixirs, and Strickmann proposed that some of the recorded alchemical deaths were intentional ritual suicide (1979: 191). Two reviewers disagreed about Strickmann's conclusions. The first questions why he defends the logic of alchemical suicide rather than simply accepting the idea of accidental elixir poisoning, and says Tao Hongjing never experimented with alchemy seriously enough to achieve suicide himselfbut fails to mention Strickmann's prime example: Tao's disciple Zhou Ziliang whom Shangqing deities reportedly instructed to prepare a poisonous elixir and commit suicide in order to achieve immortality (Chen 1981: 547). The second describes Strickmann's chapter as "one of the most thorough and useful" in the volume, and says he proves that it is "almost ludicrous to assume that a Taoist (commoner or emperor) could have died from accidental elixir poisoning" (Cass 1982: 9293).

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Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning - Wikipedia

By Bonnie J. Walker

Since the initial rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, beginning with healthcare workers and elders, Ive heard this question a lot: Why arent Black employees getting the vaccine? The question should be: Why would Black people get the vaccine,given the oppressive medical practices Black people have endured historically? A report from UnidosUS, the NAACP, and COVID Collaborative revealed only 14% of Black Americans and 34% of Latinx Americans say they have trust in the COVID-19 vaccine.

A long and well-documented history in the U.S. of government-led or government-supported medical malpractice directed toward BIPOC, particularly Black Americans, has left a legacy of fear and distrust.

The Tuskegee Study is one grand example of this historical malpractice; a clinical study on untreated syphilis in the Black male, conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the U.S. Public Health Service. The purpose of this study was to observe the natural history of untreated syphilis; the poor Black men in the study were told they were receiving free health care from the U.S. government, which was a lie. The study recruited 600 black men, of which 399 were diagnosed with syphilis. The researchers never obtained informed consent from the men and never told the men with syphilis they were not being treated, but were simply being watched until they died and their bodies examined for ravages of the disease. Many men died, 40 wives contracted the disease, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis. The 40-year Tuskegee Study was a major violation of ethical standards, and has been cited as arguably the most infamous biomedical research study in U.S. history. On May 16, 1997, President Bill Clinton formally apologized on behalf of the U.S. to victims of the experiment, calling it shameful and racist.

In the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot captures the story of a major scientific discovery, one with grave human consequences. Henrietta died unnecessarily young; her white doctors knew something was unusual about the cancer cells on her cervix.Henriettas cells HeLa cells were taken without her knowledge and have become one of the most important tools in medicine.HeLa cells are still alive today even though she died nearly 70 years ago.These cells grow unusually fast, doubling their count in only 24 hours. They are immortal meaning they will divide again and again and again without dying off, making them ideal for large-scale testing.HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovering secrets of cancer and viruses; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.Henriettas family did not learn of her immortality until nearly 20 years after her death. These cells launched a multimillion-dollar industry, and her family never saw a cent.

Instead of shaming and blaming, employers need to step back and make an effort to understand why BIPOC people have so much fear and distrust in the healthcare system. Most BIPOC people want to get the shot, and hesitancy is not the same as opposition. It makes sense to be cautious and ask questions.

What can you do as a business leader? Run town halls, in person and over video, to talk to your staff about the vaccine. Some people come with questions about their specific situations. Fear-assuaging education is especially important when we deal with the unknown: a coronavirus and a vaccine made with new messenger RNA technology. These conversations might be time-consuming, but they will pay off in the long-run. Working directly with community leaders and amplifying the voices of people of color can ease fears, and build trust. Leadership must practice empathy to support all employees. Its a life-and-death scenario for businesses, literally; vaccine uptake is our ticket to a safer, healthier new normal.

Bonnie J. Walker is the director of equity and inclusion at Worcester Academy, plying this arena in education in Mass. for 16 years. Contact her at bonnie.walker@worcesteracademy.org.

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Apprehension about the COVID-19 vaccine - Worcester Business Journal

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In fact, some scientists are calling COVID the worlds newest disease of aging, joining traditional culprits like cancer, heart ailments and Alzheimers.

More intriguingly, and hopefully, Farrelly and others say the pandemic is a compelling reason to double down on a fascinating new domain of medical research. Its goal, rather than finding cures for individual diseases, is to treat the aging process itself.

Old age makes humans vulnerable to a range of killers, now including the novel coronavirus. Finding a way to slow down or reverse the aging process will protect people not just from traditional foes like diabetes and hypertension, but infectious diseases such as COVID-19, the thinking goes.

Its a very hot area, said Steven Austad, a biologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. And COVID-19, he said, is focusing attention on it.

I think of it as 21st century medicine, as opposed to 20th century medicine, in which there were these silos of people who treat your heart, people who treat your lungs, people who treat your brain, Austad said. (Now) theyve started talking to each other.

Targeting aging, argues Farrelly, ought to be the major public health goal of the 21st century.

Nobody has run away from aging by dieting and exercising ... To change the paradigm, we need to look at pharmaceuticals

What anti-aging scientists are pursuing is not the lifestyle fixes long proven to lessen disease risk, like regular exercise and a healthy diet. Instead, theyre searching for drugs and dietary supplements that could actually tweak human biology to better withstand the ravages of time.

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Cutting-edge science seeking treatment for aging itself is one good thing to come out of deadly pandemic - Regina Leader-Post

Our success in delaying death in late life made us vulnerable to COVID-19 mortality. Photo by Carlos Osorio/Reuters

Underlying the research are some cold, hard facts about human biology. Evolution, it seems, has ensured humans live healthily long enough to reproduce and look after their offspring until they become independent.

That translates into an average biological warranty period of about 70 years, the time before which the body begins to undermine itself, increasing the risk of disease and frailty, says Farrelly. So as weve learned to at least manage diseases of old-age and get people to live longer, the result is often years of illness and disability at the end of life, he said.

But thats not to say that growing old and weak in the way we expect is written in stone.

Theres no law of physics or law of the universe that says that aging has to occur, said Austad. Living organisms are almost definable by their ability to repair themselves Aging is the ultimate failure of repair. (But) that doesnt mean its not possible to intervene in the system.

Such intervention would not necessarily extend lifespans, but ideally make the later years healthier and more productive, a major advance in itself.

That would change the nature of human existence incredibly, said Austad. If you had another 10 to 20 years of healthy life to look forward to, that might influence almost everything you did when you went to school, when you had kids, how many careers you had.

Rapamycin may be the most promising of possible anti-aging treatments.

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COVID-19 the new disease of growing old, hastening the work of anti-aging scientists - National Post

Immortality is a popular subject in fiction, as it explores humanity's deep-seated fears and comprehension of its own mortality. Immortal beings and species abound in fiction, especially fantasy fiction, and the meaning of "immortal" tends to vary.

Some fictional beings are completely immortal (or very nearly so) in that they are immune to death by injury, disease and age. Sometimes such powerful immortals can only be killed by each other, as is the case with the Q from the Star Trek series. Even if something can't be killed, a common plot device involves putting an immortal being into a slumber or limbo, as is done with Morgoth in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion and the Dreaming God of Pathways Into Darkness. Storytellers often make it a point to give weaknesses to even the most indestructible of beings. For instance, Superman is supposed to be invulnerable, yet his enemies were able to exploit his now-infamous weakness: Kryptonite. (See also Achilles' heel.)

Many fictional species are said to be immortal if they cannot die of old age, even though they can be killed through other means, such as injury. Modern fantasy elves often exhibit this form of immortality. Other creatures, such as vampires and the immortals in the film Highlander, can only die from beheading. The classic and stereotypical vampire is typically slain by one of several very specific means, including a silver bullet (or piercing with other silver weapons), a stake through the heart (perhaps made of consecrated wood), or by exposing them to sunlight.[1][2]

Mythological beings are often used in modern fiction as characters, as a plot device, or even just as "window dressing". Such beings are often either immortal or associated with immortality.

Tezuka Osamu's lifework Phoenix (known in Japan as Hi no Tori) had a phoenix whose blood would provide immortality. In various ages, many "heroes" and "heroines" would strive for immortality only to realize that there is something beyond eternal life. In one story titled "Rose Ham" (lit. "Next World Story") the last remaining human male who survived a holocaust, blessed (or cursed) with immortality through the phoenix blood, would create another beginning of life. In his immortal form, he would see a race of slugs, after gaining intelligence, destroy themselves in another holocaust. He would seed the earth with life that would become present day humans, and finally leave the earth to join his lover, who died billions of years ago, in heaven.

In the Cthulhu Mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft, there is a race of "Fish-Men" known as Deep Ones. They stop aging after reaching adulthood and can breed with humans to birth offspring with this "eternal youth." This is a faustian bargain, as after reaching the age of 20, the Deep One Hybrids undergo a transformation from normal humans into Deep Ones. They also lose all concept of humanity and morality and go to live in the ocean with the Deep Ones and to worship the undersea deity Father Dagon, the Ruler of the Deep Ones and consort to Mother Hydra.

Since immortality is seen as a desire of humanity, themes involving immortality often explore the disadvantages as well as the advantages of such a trait. Sometimes immortality is used as a punishment, or a curse that might be intended to teach a lesson. It is not uncommon to find immortal characters yearning for death. In Greek mythology Tithonus was given immortality by Zeus at the behest of his lover Eos, but she did not ask for eternal youth as well so he grew older and weaker and was turned into a cicada, eternally begging for death.

In some parts of popular culture, immortality is not all that it is made out to be, possibly causing insanity and/or significant emotional pain. Much of the time, these things only happen to mortals who gain immortality. Beings born with immortality (such as deities, demigods and races with "limited immortality") are usually quite adjusted to their long lives, though some may feel sorrow at the passing of mortal friends, but they still continue on. Some immortals may also watch over mortal relations (either related to or descended from them), occasionally offering help when needed.

In legend, most famously in Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman, a ship's captain is cursed with immortality after attempting to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in a terrible storm. He is doomed to sail around the Cape forever.

In Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, some of the inhabitants of the island of Immortals (near Japan) don't die, but they age and become ill, demented, and a nuisance to themselves and those surrounding them. Swift presents immortality as a curse rather than a blessing.

In Mikhail Lermontov's 1841 poem Demon, the protagonist is burdened by his immortality. Outcast from Paradise, "his desert had no refuge in it: and one by one the ages passed, as minute follows after minute, each one monotonously dull." He seeks escape in love, but fails.[3]

In Jorge Luis Borges's story "The Immortal" the central character begins by seeking the water of eternal life and then spends centuries seeking the water of death.

In Gerald Kershs "Whatever Happened to Corporal Cuckoo?" the eponymous corporal was given immortality by Ambroise Par's digestif in 1537. He has been trying to replicate the exact recipe he received ever since and has never done so. Corporal Cuckoo was not only made immortal. He retained the same personality and defects he had in 1537: it has taken him four hundred years to reach the rank of corporal. Because he has learned no more and has not become wiser, however, the corporal does not suffer the misery of other fictional immortals.

In general, a theme seen with many variations, is the notion of an essential world weariness akin to extreme exhaustion for which death is the only relief. This is inescapable when immortality is defined as (half) infinite life. Immortality defined as finite but arbitrarily long per the desire to exist does not, as a definition, suffer this limitation. When a person is tired of life, even death is shut off to them, creating an endless torture.

The 2018 science fiction TV series Ad Vitam explored the social impact of biological immortality.

The undead are fictional people who have died and still maintain some aspects of life. In many examples, the undead are immune to aging or even heal at an accelerated rate. Dracula is one of the most famous examples of the undead.

Immortality can be achieved in fiction through scientifically plausible means. Extraterrestrial life might be immortal or it might be able to give immortality to humans. Immortality is also achieved in many examples by replacing the mortal human body by machines.

There are many examples of immortality in fiction where a character is vulnerable to death and injury in the normal way but possesses an extraordinary capacity for recovery.

The long-running British science-fiction series Doctor Who focuses on a character called the Doctor, a member of the alien Time Lord race, who can "regenerate" instead of dying or aging; however, rather than simply healing wounds, this results in a Time Lord's entire physical appearance changing when fatally wounded or terminally sick. Most Time Lords are only capable of doing so twelve times before finally dying for good, but the Doctor and his friend-turned-foe the Master have each gone beyond this limit, the Master possessing others before the events of the Time War led to him and the Doctor being granted a new cycle of regenerations for helping their people in the conflict.

Wolverine from the Marvel Comics is famously able to heal from any injury, making him functionally immortal. He has sometimes been depicted in the far future having aged little from his "present" appearance. [4]

The list is in chronological order for the first appearance of the fictional character.

As noted above, specific characters who as a class tend to be immortal such as vampires and robots are not listed individually. Lists of classes whose members are typically immortal include:

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Immortality in fiction - Wikipedia

In Sanskrit, Giloy is known as Amrita', which literally translates to the root of immortality'.

Highlights

Giloy (Tinospora Cordifolia) is an Ayurvedic herb that has been used and advocated in Indian medicine for ages, says Delhi-based Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat. In Sanskrit, Giloy is known as Amrita', which literally translates to the root of immortality', because of its abundant medicinal properties. The stem of Giloy is of maximum utility, but the root can also be used. Its benefits and uses have even been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), adds Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat. Dr. Ashutosh Gautam, Baidyanath adds, Giloy can be consumed in the form of juice, powder or capsules. Many people inlcude giloy in traditional kadhas as well. Here are some of the health benefits of giloy that you must know.

1. Boosts Immunity

Dr. Ashutosh says, Giloy is a universal herb that helps boost immunity. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants which fight free-radicals, keep your cells healthy and get rid of diseases. Giloy helps remove toxins, purifies blood, fights bacteria that causes diseases and also combats liver diseases and urinary tract infections. Giloy is used by experts in treating heart related conditions, and is also found useful in treating infertility.

Dr. Ashutosh Gautam, Baidyanath says, Giloy helps get rid of recurrent fevers. Since Giloy is anti-pyretic in nature, it can reduce signs and symptoms of several life threatening conditions like Dengue, Swine Flu and Malaria as well.

Giloy is very beneficial in improving digestion and treating bowel related issues, says Delhi-based Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat. Tip: You can take half a gram of giloy powder with some amla regularly to maximize results, or with jaggery for treating constipation.

According to Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja, Fortis Hospital, Giloy acts as a hypoglycaemic agent and helps treat diabetes (particularly Type 2 diabetes). Giloy juice helps reduce high levels of blood sugar and works wonders.

Benefits of giloy:Giloy acts as a hypoglycaemic agent and helps treat diabetes

Did you know Giloy can be used as an adaptogenic herb as well? It helps reduce mental stress as well as anxiety. It helps get rid of toxins, boosts the memory, calms you down and makes for an excellent health tonic if combined with other herbs.

Dr. Ashutosh further adds, Giloy is popularly known for its anti-inflammatory benefits and helps reduce respiratory problems like frequent cough, cold, tonsils.

7. Treats Arthritis

Giloy contains anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties that help treat arthritis and its several symptoms. For joint pain, the powder from giloy stem can be boiled with milk and consumed, says Dr. Ashutosh. It can be used along with ginger to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Asthma causes chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, etc. which makes it very difficult to treat such a condition. Chewing on giloy root or drinking giloy juice helps asthma patients and is often recommended by experts, adds Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja, Fortis Hospital.

In several parts of India, Giloy plant is applied to the eyes as it helps boost vision clarity. All you need to do, is boil Giloy powder in water, let it cool down and apply over the eyelids.

Giloy plant contains anti-aging properties that help reduce dark spots, pimples, fine lines and wrinkles. It gives you that flawless, glowing skin you've always wanted.

Note: There are no serious side-effects of consuming Giloy since it is a natural and safe herbal remedy. However, in some cases - the use of Giloy can cause constipation and lower blood sugar levels. So if you are diabetic and have been consuming Giloy on a long-term basis, monitor your blood sugar levels regularly. Also, avoid Giloy if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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10 Amazing Benefits of Giloy: The Ayurvedic Root of ...

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Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy, being blessed in the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and predestinated before the ages of time, that it should be always for an enduring and unchangeable glory, being united and elected through the true passion by the will of the Father, and Jesus Christ, our God: Abundant happiness through Jesus Christ, and His undefiled grace.

I have become acquainted with your name, much-beloved in God, which you have acquired by the habit of righteousness, according to the faith and love in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Being the followers of God, and stirring up yourselves by the blood of God, you have perfectly accomplished the work which was beseeming to you. For, on hearing that I came bound from Syria for the common name and hope, trusting through your prayers to be permitted to fight with beasts at Rome, that so by martyrdom I may indeed become the disciple of Him who gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God, Ephesians5:2 [you hastened to see me ]. I received, therefore, your whole multitude in the name of God, through Onesimus, a man of inexpressible love, and your bishop in the flesh, whom I pray you by Jesus Christ to love, and that you would all seek to be like him. And blessed be He who has granted unto you, being worthy, to obtain such an excellent bishop.

As to my fellow-servant Burrhus, your deacon in regard to God and blessed in all things, I beg that he may continue longer, both for your honour and that of your bishop. And Crocus also, worthy both of God and you, whom I have received as the manifestation of your love, has in all things refreshed 1Corinthians16:18,etc. me, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ shall also refresh 1Corinthians16:18,etc. him; together with Onesimus, and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto, by means of whom, I have, as to love, beheld all of you. May I always have joy of you, if indeed I be worthy of it. It is therefore befitting that you should in every way glorify Jesus Christ, who has glorified you, that by a unanimous obedience you may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment, and may all speak the same thing concerning the same thing, 1Corinthians1:10 and that, being subject to the bishop and the presbytery, you may in all respects be sanctified.

I do not issue orders to you, as if I were some great person. For though I am bound for the name [of Christ], I am not yet perfect in Jesus Christ. For now I begin to be a disciple, and I speak to you as fellow-disciples with me. For it was needful for me to have been stirred up by you in faith, exhortation, patience, and long-suffering. But inasmuch as love suffers me not to be silent in regard to you, I have therefore taken upon me first to exhort you that you would all run together in accordance with the will of God. For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the [manifested] will of the Father; as also bishops, settled everywhere to the utmost bounds [of the earth], are so by the will of Jesus Christ.

Wherefore it is fitting that you should run together in accordance with the will of your bishop, which thing also you do. For your justly renowned presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop as the strings are to the harp. Therefore in your concord and harmonious love, Jesus Christ is sung. And man by man, become a choir, that being harmonious in love, and taking up the song of God in unison, you may with one voice sing to the Father through Jesus Christ, so that He may both hear you, and perceive by your works that you are indeed the members of His Son. It is profitable, therefore, that you should live in an unblameable unity, that thus you may always enjoy communion with God.

For if I in this brief space of time, have enjoyed such fellowship with your bishop I mean not of a mere human, but of a spiritual nature how much more do I reckon you happy who are so joined to him as the Church is to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is to the Father, that so all things may agree in unity! Let no man deceive himself: if any one be not within the altar, he is deprived of the bread of God. For if the prayer of one or two possesses Matthew18:19 such power, how much more that of the bishop and the whole Church! He, therefore, that does not assemble with the Church, has even by this manifested his pride, and condemned himself. For it is written, God resists the proud. Let us be careful, then, not to set ourselves in opposition to the bishop, in order that we may be subject to God.

Now the more any one sees the bishop keeping silence, the more ought he to revere him. For we ought to receive every one whom the Master of the house sends to be over His household, Matthew24:45 as we would do Him that sent him. It is manifest, therefore, that we should look upon the bishop even as we would upon the Lord Himself. And indeed Onesimus himself greatly commends your good order in God, that you all live according to the truth, and that no sect has any dwelling-place among you. Nor, indeed, do you hearken to any one rather than to Jesus Christ speaking in truth.

For some are in the habit of carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practise things unworthy of God, whom you must flee as you would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, who bite secretly, against whom you must be on your guard, inasmuch as they are men who can scarcely be cured. There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first passible and then impassible even Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let not then any one deceive you, as indeed you are not deceived, inasmuch as you are wholly devoted to God. For since there is no strife raging among you which might distress you, you are certainly living in accordance with God's will. I am far inferior to you, and require to be sanctified by your Church of Ephesus, so renowned throughout the world. They that are carnal cannot do those things which are spiritual, nor they that are spiritual the things which are carnal; even as faith cannot do the works of unbelief, nor unbelief the works of faith. But even those things which you do according to the flesh are spiritual; for you do all things in Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, I have heard of some who have passed on from this to you, having false doctrine, whom you did not allow to sow among you, but stopped your ears, that you might not receive those things which were sown by them, as being stones 1Peter2:5 of the temple of the Father, prepared for the building of God the Father, and drawn up on high by the instrument of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, John12:32 making use of the Holy Spirit as a rope, while your faith was the means by which you ascended, and your love the way which led up to God. You, therefore, as well as all your fellow-travellers, are God-bearers, temple-bearers, Christ-bearers, bearers of holiness, adorned in all respects with the commandments of Jesus Christ, in whom also I exult that I have been thought worthy, by means of this Epistle, to converse and rejoice with you, because with respect to your Christian life you love nothing but God only.

And pray without ceasing on behalf of other men. For there is in them hope of repentance that they may attain to God. See, then, that they be instructed by your works, if in no other way. Be meek in response to their wrath, humble in opposition to their boasting: to their blasphemies return your prayers; in contrast to their error, be stedfast Colossians1:23 in the faith; and for their cruelty, manifest your gentleness. While we take care not to imitate their conduct, let us be found their brethren in all true kindness; and let us seek to be followers of the Lord (who ever more unjustly treated, more destitute, more condemned?), that so no plant of the devil may be found in you, but you may remain in all holiness and sobriety in Jesus Christ, both with respect to the flesh and spirit.

The last times have come upon us. Let us therefore be of a reverent spirit, and fear the long-suffering of God, that it tend not to our condemnation. For let us either stand in awe of the wrath to come, or show regard for the grace which is at present displayed one of two things. Only [in one way or another] let us be found in Christ Jesus unto the true life. Apart from Him, let nothing attract you, for whom I bear about these bonds, these spiritual jewels, by which may I arise through your prayers, of which I entreat I may always be a partaker, that I may be found in the lot of the Christians of Ephesus, who have always been of the same mind with the apostles through the power of Jesus Christ.

I know both who I am, and to whom I write. I am a condemned man, you have been the objects of mercy; I am subject to danger, you are established in safety. You are the persons through whom those pass that are cut off for the sake of God. You are initiated into the mysteries of the Gospel with Paul, the holy, the martyred, the deservedly most happy, at whose feet may I be found, when I shall attain to God; who in all his Epistles makes mention of you in Christ Jesus.

Take heed, then, often to come together to give thanks to God, and show forth His praise. For when you assemble frequently in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and the destruction at which he aims is prevented by the unity of your faith. Nothing is more precious than peace, by which all war, both in heaven and earth, is brought to an end.

None of these things is hid from you, if you perfectly possess that faith and love towards Christ Jesus 1Timothy1:14 which are the beginning and the end of life. For the beginning is faith, and the end is love. 1Timothy1:5 Now these two, being inseparably connected together, are of God, while all other things which are requisite for a holy life follow after them. No man [truly] making a profession of faith sins; 1John3:7 nor does he that possesses love hate any one. The tree is made manifest by its fruit; Matthew12:33 so those that profess themselves to be Christians shall be recognised by their conduct. For there is not now a demand for mere profession, but that a man be found continuing in the power of faith to the end.

It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one. It is good to teach, if he who speaks also acts. There is then one Teacher, who spoke and it was done; while even those things which He did in silence are worthy of the Father. He who possesses the word of Jesus, is truly able to hear even His very silence, that he may be perfect, and may both act as he speaks, and be recognised by his silence. There is nothing which is hid from God, but our very secrets are near to Him. Let us therefore do all things as those who have Him dwelling in us, that we may be His temples, 1Corinthians6:19 and He may be in us as our God, which indeed He is, and will manifest Himself before our faces. Wherefore we justly love Him.

Do not err, my brethren. James1:16 Those that corrupt families shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1Corinthians6:9-10 If, then, those who do this as respects the flesh have suffered death, how much more shall this be the case with any one who corrupts by wicked doctrine the faith of God, for which Jesus Christ was crucified! Such an one becoming defiled [in this way], shall go away into everlasting fire, and so shall every one that hearkens unto him.

For this end did the Lord allow the ointment to be poured upon His head, John12:7 that He might breathe immortality into His Church. Be not anointed with the bad odour of the doctrine of the prince of this world; let him not lead you away captive from the life which is set before you. And why are we not all prudent, since we have received the knowledge of God, which is Jesus Christ? Why do we foolishly perish, not recognising the gift which the Lord has of a truth sent to us?

Let my spirit be counted as nothing for the sake of the cross, which is a stumbling-block 1Corinthians1:18 to those that do not believe, but to us salvation and life eternal. Where is the wise man? Where the disputer? 1Corinthians1:20 Where is the boasting of those who are styled prudent? For our God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water.

Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God. How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike to everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God Himself being manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life. And now that took a beginning which had been prepared by God. Henceforth all things were in a state of tumult, because He meditated the abolition of death.

If Jesus Christ shall graciously permit me through your prayers, and if it be His will, I shall, in a second little work which I will write to you, make further manifest to you [the nature of] the dispensation of which I have begun [to treat], with respect to the new man, Jesus Christ, in His faith and in His love, in His suffering and in His resurrection. Especially [will I do this ] if the Lord make known to me that you come together man by man in common through grace, individually, in one faith, and in Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David according to the flesh, being both the Son of man and the Son of God, so that you obey the bishop and the presbytery with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote to prevent us from dying, but [which causes] that we should live for ever in Jesus Christ.

My soul be for yours and theirs whom, for the honour of God, you have sent to Smyrna; whence also I write to you, giving thanks unto the Lord, and loving Polycarp even as I do you. Remember me, as Jesus Christ also remembered you. Pray for the Church which is in Syria, whence I am led bound to Rome, being the last of the faithful who are there, even as I have been thought worthy to be chosen to show forth the honour of God. Farewell in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, our common hope.

Source. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm>.

Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.

Link:
CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle to the Ephesians (St. Ignatius)