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 nast...