What is the principle of ancient alchemy?

Cinnabar was used as the main material of alchemy by ancient alchemists because of its pharmacological action and physical and chemical properties. The ancients were amazed at its rounded and flowing shape and volatile characteristics, so they chose other epigraphy drugs to mix with liquid mercury (mercury) according to a certain formula, and repeated reduction and oxidation experiments were carried out to extract "Jiuzhuan Dan" or "Jiuzhuan Jindan".

Alchemy is the secret recipe of refining Dan medicine by the ancients in pursuit of "longevity" Dan refers to cinnabar or mercury sulfide, which is an inorganic compound of sulfur and mercury. Because of its red color, Tao Hongjing called it "cinnabar".

Extended data:

An alchemist is extremely mysterious and strange in his practice or process. If you think that the choice of Dan's land should be in a famous mountain that is inaccessible and haunted by immortals, otherwise "evil spirits can get in, but medicine can't get in." When opening the tripod, the warlock must fast, clean the crown, kneel down and hold the medicine stove, and worship the Buddha toward the south avenue; If you go to the mountains again,

You must choose the auspicious day of "mountain opening in March or September"; The altar should be burned and printed, and the furnace tripod should be inserted with a sword and an ancient mirror. And so on, are full of extremely strong superstition. However, ancient alchemists personally engaged in the collection and preparation of drugs, and through repeated chemical experiments, they developed the original chemical cause intentionally or unintentionally, which can be regarded as the originator of modern chemistry.

There are about ten kinds of tools and equipment in the literature of alchemy, namely, Dan furnace, Dante, Shuihai, pomegranate jar, snail, mercury collector, huachi, grinder, screen, ponytail and so on.

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