Make a Potion!

Chapter 5

Allergy Elixir

Estimated Brewing Time:

Pewter cauldron: 72 minutes Brass cauldron: 66 minutes Copper cauldron: 62 minutes

Ingredients:

• One (1) liter of water
• Four (4) dried Billywig stings
• One (1) mandrake root
• Three (3) tablespoons of eucalyptus oil
• Two (2) tablespoons of honey
• Six (6) fairy wings
• Three (3) eel eyes
• Optional: Two (2) tablespoons of Flobberworm mucus

Instructions:

Part One:

1. Add one liter of water and bring the heat to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
2. Add three fairy wings and four dried Billywig stings to your mortar and crush them into a fine and even powder.
3. Add two tablespoons of this powder to the cauldron.
4. Add one tablespoon of eucalyptus oil.
5. Stir once clockwise. Add two tablespoons of honey. Bring the heat up to 383 Kelvin (110°C/230°F) for 35 seconds, and then reduce heat again to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
6. Add the three remaining, unground fairy wings to the cauldron. Stir four times counter-clockwise. Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 30 minutes. (This would be 27 minutes in a brass cauldron and 25 minutes in a copper cauldron.) At this point, the potion should be a deep navy blue, and the steam it gives off should not be any particular discernible color.
7. While the potion is brewing, please take your mandrake root and slice it crosswise. Your pieces should be approximately 8mm or one-third of an inch in width.

Part Two:

1. Add one sliced mandrake root to the cauldron.
2. Add three eel eyes to the cauldron.
3. Bring the heat up to 383 Kelvin (110°C/230°F) for fifteen seconds, and then reduce heat again to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F). - Stir once counter-clockwise.
4. Add two tablespoons of eucalyptus oil.
5. Stir three times clockwise.
6. Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 25 minutes. (This would be 22 minutes in a brass cauldron and twenty minutes in a copper cauldron.)
7. If brewed correctly, the potion should now be a reddish-orange color that emits a pale green steam. It will have a slightly mentholated smell to it.
8. Remove the cauldron and allow the contents to cool for five minutes. At this point you have the option to add in two tablespoons of Flobberworm mucus. Mix in with a wooden spoon to ensure even consistency. It is up to the individual to choose how thick he or she wants the consistency of this potion to be.

To Store: This particular allergy recipe stores best in a tinted vial, if possible, and should be stored in a dark, cool place. The recipe is only good for up to five months before it starts losing its efficacy, so check the dates on your vials regularly to make sure the potion has not expired before consumption.

Caution: This recipe is relatively harmless and has been approved even for the very young, the very old, and those who are pregnant. However, over-consumption of the elixir in a twenty-four hour period may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, pounding heart, and jitteriness, so be cautious when consuming. These may also be present in much milder forms as standard side effects to this elixir, so be careful when operating a broom or other magical devices after consumption.

In very rare cases, an allergic reaction in the form of a blue or green rash will appear on the skin, particularly the face and the neck. If this occurs, it should not be of extreme concern, but it is wise to consult with a healer and weigh the options of alternative elixirs and potions that will not cause similar aesthetically displeasing reactions. Rashes, Burns, and Sores Although allergies are most often associated with sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, and similar cold and flu-like symptoms, they can often manifest as allergic rashes or hives. Hives are swollen, red bumps that emerge on the skin that usually itch, but can also cause pain or a burning sensation. They occur when small amounts of blood plasma leak out of blood vessels in the skin in response to the release of histamine. The role of histamine in an allergic or pathogenic reaction is to make it easier for things to pass through or cross capillary walls. This allows white blood cells and other cells and chemicals involved in fighting invasive presences easier passage to reach the site.

By Mishal N