POTIONS AND HERBOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Safety Fundamentals When Making Potions
ie Small or Large scale Chemical Warfare is strongly discouraged by the School...
This is the second section where we’re
going to treat you like a particularly substandard lemming and patronise you to
within an inch of your sanity. This is made necessary by the
Health and Safety in four exciting steps
1) As previously mentioned, it’s best to avoid trying out new herbs if you are prone to allergies, on medication, or pregnant.
There are of course many herbs which wouldn’t have any effect on any of these conditions (there are even some that would improve them), however unless you are extremely well informed it is never worth the risk.
So unless you have very solid evidence to support your gut feeling that you are in fact a gestation machine for a new breed of alien parasite, don’t endanger your baby for a few leaves of Pennyroyal. (An abortive herb...)
2) Make sure you have picked the right herb!
In this first term’s work/educational epoch we will concentrate on plants that are fairly easily identified, but do be aware that there are some impressively poisonous things growing out there. So if you are not used to foraging for wild plants try to get a second opinion from someone you trust and whom is not a beneficiary of your Will.
Never use an ingredient in a potion without being 100% sure that it is from the correct plant.
3) As you become more competent with
potions you may want to experiment with dosages. Please do remember to be
cautious as herbs contain potent chemicals and should be treated with respect.
“It’s possible to have too much of a good thing”, said
(Actually she didn’t, she said “You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”)
The moral of the story being; if you’ve got psychoactive herbs in your tea, go easy...
4) Be aware of side effects and contraindications. Magical herbs are usually milder and safer than medicines but they contain many of the same chemicals, so it is possible that the chemicals in one plant may react with the chemicals in another when they are in the body.
With the exception of the fearsomely poisonous specimens in the “Potions For Self Defence” section the majority of the magical herbs used in this guide are perfectly harmless unless you are pregnant, on medication, or allergic. However if you are likely to want to guzzle down more than one potion in an afternoon, it’s best to do some research to check that your potion combinations are safe. When in doubt, stick to one brew a day.
Mixing potions from the same category has the potential to increase the power of the intended effect exponentially. When I was starting out I had quite a surprise when I tried out two different types of potion in the space of two hours- one was supposed to be a relaxant; the other was supposed to aid concentration and boost creativity- the end result though was that the serotonin enhancing chemicals and mild sedatives in both of these potions caused me to become rather too mellow…
Fortunately I was at home, but it would have been dangerous to drive in this condition however pleasant it was.
*You are reading this. Therefore you rock.
Exercise 1: Test Your Knowledge
1: When should you administer a deadly poisonous potion that would floor an elephant at sixty paces?
A) When your neighbour is being even more characteristically obnoxious than usual.
B) During an alien invasion where they are using human bodies as incubators for their flesh eating parasitic spawn.
2: Potions should be avoided when…
A) You or your subject is pregnant, on medication, or has allergies to any of the ingredients.
B) You are being observed by the deadly glare of the Ebony Phoenix from the Isle of Styx.
3: When foraging for wild ingredients for a potion you should:
A) Make sure you can positively identify the correct plant and ask for a second opinion if necessary.
B) Stuff anything you can find into a Potion and then swallow it down quick as you like. Pray to Flora the Goddess of the Flowers.
4: It is safe practise to do what before administering a potion to someone else?
A) Decorate their potion with Cocktail cherries, Lemon Verbena, ice, and a slice.
B) Discuss the ingredients with them to check that they are not allergic, pregnant, or on medication.
You can check the answers to the exercises that appear at the end of each section by scrolling down...
d
o
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Exciting Answers
1: D. Deadly poisonous potions must only be administered in life or death situations such an alien invasion or kidnap by a psychopath.
2: C. The Ebony Phoenix is a fearsome foe but he has no particular opinions on your potion making unless they involve Linseed (to which he is very partial.)
3:
C. If you got this wrong you may be a worthy
contender for a
4: B. Though Cocktail cherries, ice and a slice do improve most potions and lend any witch or wizard a certain style.
NEXT EXCITING STEP: HARVESTING YOUR POTION INGREDIENTS