In Manhattan, in the heart of New York, was hiding the Elixir of Life, a series of bottles dating back to the 19th century that once contained a miraculous remedy for various ailments. The Elixir of Long Life intrigued archaeologists who thus recreated the liquid. A mix of alcohol and medicinal herbs
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A Manhattan, in the heart of New York, the elixir of life was hidden. During some excavations, archaeologists have found a series of bottles dating back to the 19th century that once contained a miraculous remedy for various ailments. The Elixir of Life, as it was nicknamed, intrigued the experts, who decided to recreate it. A mix of alcohol and medicinal herbs.
The small vials, which are over 150 years old, were found in a building site near the famous Street Bowery, between Chinatown and Little Italy. According to archaeologists, those who used them were convinced they could deceive death.
Since May on concoction is the team of Chrysalis Archeology, who examined the hundreds of vials found underground. Alyssa Loorya, president of Chrysalis, a company that supervised the excavations, thus enlisted some colleagues in Germany to help her trace the prescription in a 19th-century medical guide. After translating the text, the team discovered that the elixir contained ingredients still used by herbalists today:aloe, which is a known anti-inflammatory, and the gentian root, which aids digestion. But, the liquid was mostly made of alcohol.
"These types of care were ubiquitous in the 19th century and always available," he said Loorya. “The ingredients are still used today, in cocktail and in the infusions but we don't know if it was the abundant quantities of alcohol or the herbs that made people feel better ”.
And here is the prescription of the elixir of life:
Aloe - (13 grams)
Rhubarb - (2,3 grams)
Gentian - (2,3 grams)
Zedoaria, also known as white turmeric - (2,3 grams)
Spanish saffron - (2,3 grams)
Water - (114 ml)
Wheat alcohol - (240 ml)
Preparation
Squeeze the liquid from the aloe. Mash the rhubarb, gentian and saffron together and then mix them with the aloe liquid. Then leave the mixture to rest for three days together with the other ingredients, and shake it from time to time. Before serving, it will need to be filtered.
Dangerous concoctions? Far from it, according to DNAinfo, who showed the recipes to herbalist Lata Kennedy. For the latter, many are still used for the natural treatment of digestive disorders: "These ingredients are a tonic for the liver, calm the stomach and help with constipation."
They did not guarantee immortality but helped to live better, using only natural ingredients.
Francesca Mancuso
Foto: ChrysalisArchaeology
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