chinese people also knew it from long ago. in china and tibet, people thought using mercury would make them live longer and have better health. one of china's emperors, qín shǐ huáng dì, is said to have been buried in a tomb with rivers of flowing mercury. he died from drinking a mixture of mercury and powdered jade because he wanted to live forever. however, this only made him die of liver failure, poisoning, and brain death. the ancient greeks used mercury in ointments. the egyptians and the romans used it in cosmetics. these cosmetics sometimes hurt and made faces uglier.