Red mercury like divine plasma was the elixir of life
And could greatly lengthen you life span
In Victorian times, men who made felt hats worked with mercury and were poisoned by it, resulting in neurological damage like tremors, slurred speech, etc. Many ended up in lunatic asylums. The Mad Hatter in the Alice books was based on the common phrase, "mad as a hatter."
Mercury does not improve your life.