Nefryt jako lekarstwo w dawnych Chinach – analiza lingwistyczno-kulturowa

The Chinese not only esteemed jade for its preciousness and beauty but also perceived it as a stone of great symbolic importance. Among many symbolic meanings ascribed to jade, such as ritual and aesthetic, there is also one less known, i.e. medical. This paper examines the significance of jade as an elixir of immortality and describes the origin of this phenomenon connected with Taoist beliefs, its history and the method of its taking. After long centuries of its use, jade almost disappeared from tombs as an important element of burials between the Eastern Han dynasty and Tang dynasty during the time due to its consumption. This paper examines historical sources, such as the writings of Ge Hong and Li Shizhen and refers to the exact composition of the jade medicaments. It also claims that the side effects were the main reason for its abandonment in the times of Tang dynasty. This article provides an overview of cultural, religious, and practical background of the original and short-term use of jade as an immortality elixir.