Many Chinese emperors likely died from immortality elixirs containing toxic substances. Snake oil Chinese style. A lot of so-called ‘Eastern medicine’ is complete hooey as far as I’m concerned from ginseng to acupuncture etc. I have seen the desperation that people with no other medical options show when they flock to this snake oil.
“Qin Shi Huang was not the first or last emperor to die of elixir poisoning.
Adam Leith Gollnerremarked in an article that "the idea of conquering death was an all-consuming obsession for the (Chinese) nobility." They relied on the
Fangshi , specialists comparable to alchemists, who used specific recipes and methods to concoct immortality elixirs. Unfortunately, these elixirs often contained toxic substances such as mercury and arsenic. The
Chinese word for elixir ,
Dān 丹, has a common root with cinnabar, a natural source of mercury.
Instead of promoting improved longevity, these elixirs were much more likely to shorten lives and lead to
very painful deaths .
Joseph Needham, a prolific historian of Chinese science and technology chronicled the many Chinese rulers believed to had died of poisoning. The earliest known report of the use of elixirs was from the 4th century BCE and reports continued into the 18th century, despite knowledge of the risks. The Tang dynasty seems to have been particularly susceptible to the claims of the Fangshi and historians believe that at least five emperors died from imbibing immortality elixirs.”