The universal panacea (PAN-ah-see-ah), one of the goals sought by many alchemists, was a remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely. Sought by many alchemists as a connection to the elixir of life and the philosopher's stone, a mythical substance which would enable the transmutation of common metals into gold. In Greek mythology, Panacea (all--healing) was a daughter of Asclepius and Salus (or Epione). ... The Alchemist. ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ... Immortality is the concept of existing for a potentially infinite or indeterminate length of time. ... Elixir, by Yousuf Karsh, 1938 Elixir has several meanings: In alchemy, an elixir was a substance believed to be able to change base metals into gold. ... The philosophers stone, a longtime Holy Grail of Western alchemy, is a mythical substance that supposedly could turn inexpensive metals into gold and/or create an elixir that would make humans immortal. ... see also transmutation of species Transmutation is the conversion of one object into another. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms ions (cations) and has metallic bonds, and it is sometimes said that it is similar to a cation in a cloud of electrons. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ...

Compare: patent medicine, snake oil Patent medicine is the term given to various medical compounds sold under a variety of names and labels, though they were for the most part actually trademarked medicines, not patented. ... Clark Stanleys Snake Oil Liniment. ...