Antimony
Antimony is one of the few elements that can tell a story. None of the things this element has seen were positive. Antimony is a metallic, silvery-gray element that is employed in batteries and electronics today. They once employed it in cosmetics. However, it also had a terrible use that was frequently used. A traditional laxative was antimony. It was also reusable.
Many health problems were attributed to imbalances in the Middle Ages. Many problems started with too much phlegm or blood. You needed to get rid of any negative humors you might have. You had to cleanse yourself as a result. the laxative containing antimony.
Antimony is fairly poisonous, thus it does not agree at all with the human body. It is therefore quite effective in that regard. Your guts will make a quick effort to extract antimony from them. An antimony pill was taken and sent on a wonderful voyage through your intestines in an effort to eliminate these nasty humors.
It survived that mystical quest largely undamaged, since it was metal. People at the time would simply hunt it down and scrub it off, so they could use it again later since they were thrifty. Because of the principle of "waste not, want not," it is said that one pill would be taken by an entire family and passed down down the centuries.