Jade and gold originally as drugs in China

Demand for a drug identifies its user and also his needs. An aged ascetic living alone in a forest needed a drug to acquire physical strength. His search was guided by the theory that like makes like. Accordingly, jade was selected as a hard stone that never tarnishes which, when taken as a powder, will make the consumer strong-bodied. Previously, red-ochre was consumed orally on the principle that its redness would increase blood and promote longevity. Jade came to supercede red-ochre or red-earth. Its inscribed character in Chinese, Yü, is a horizontal stroke on the top of Thu, earth or clay. Thus Yü, jade, signifies Super-Earth or a drug superior to red-ochre. Searching for a more potent drug, gold was discovered and, being fireproof, was thus everlasting. Chin, gold, as a character, is composed of Yü, jade, plus a phonetic as the specifying additive. Hence the resultant character, Chin, presents gold as Super-Jade. Briefly, jade is Super (Red)-Earth and gold is Super-Jade.