WHAT'S YOUR POISON? by Sunny Frazier
“Bubble, bubble toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.”
This is the chant of the three witches in Shakespeare’s MacBeth. But maybe they weren’t actually witches. Maybe they were just practicing herbal medicine.
Evidence of natural
medicines has been found as far back as 60,000 years ago. When society moved on
to man-made medicines, women still used the healing properties of plants. While
men experimented with alchemy, women became apothecaries and often dubbed
witches.
I just finished a book called The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. When a woman inherits her mother’s apothecary shop (the Rite Aid of its day) she promises never to use her poisons to kill a women. Men have no idea her secret shop exists but women know where to find it. Not only is it a fascinating book but the author includes recipes. Want to shorten the life of an elderly gentleman? Find Graveyard Yew, grind up the seeds and use as a suppository. Devil’s Snare is ideal for killing lawyers. It’s nastier than Nightshade. But, if it’s only bugs and boils you want to get rid of, make Blackfriar’s Balm, a concoction of castor oil, almond oil, tea tree oil and a few drops of lavender. Lucrezia Borgia was (allegedly) fond of using Cantarella, also known as Spanish Fly. A little makes you amorous; too much makes you dead. Bubble, bubble.
There are things in your backyard right now that you probably didn’t know were poisonous. Those beautiful daffodils, lilies, wisteria, lantana, chrysanthemums, and azaleas? Pretty and pretty dangerous. The oleander growing by the highway? Read the book White Oleander.Watch your back if you have houseplants such as philodendron and diefenbachia growing. But keep your aloe vera handy in case that cauldron burns you.
Most of the plants I mention are a danger to animals. I had a bad reaction to flea medicine, so now I give my cats Brewer’s Yeast. Plant marigolds to keep fleas out of your yard. But do make your cat happy, and maybe a little stoned, with catnip.
In recent years traditional medicine has made a comeback. Maybe we don’t trust the pharmaceutical companies or don’t want to pay their prices. Maybe the ancients knew ways to stay healthy. I drink chamomile tea at night to sleep better. Ginger helps nausea, echinacea shortens colds.
As a mystery writer, I
keep The Poisoner’s
Handbook on my shelf. For reference only, of course!
Comments
would have been handed down from mother to daughter.
I knew about the deadly oleander plant but not about the others
And these were not the kind of recipes I was thinking of
But were helpful just the same. Your blogs never cease to educate and
Entertain.
Thanks Sunny