Essay

Prompt

For the midterm, consider that a brilliant but somewhat ungrounded researcher at your academy suggests putting money towards developing a vaporous version of the Cure for Boils. However, he is proposing creating a mass dispersal method that would cause it to sit in a clear, mostly odorless cloud outside a Magical Dermatology* Clinic to treat patients with boils as they walk in and out of the clinic. This clinic is located on a street that houses shops for both Wizards and Muggles, so it sees a good deal of Muggle traffic walking by the clinic each day.

You perceive some very obvious problems with this proposal, and you wish to counter it in the next academic meeting. For the midterm, draft a proposal discussing the problems with your colleague’s suggestion. You can do this in an essay format, as a short story as you are addressing other academics in the meeting, as a slide presentation, in a video form, in song form, by drawing a picture or comic illustrating the issues - however you wish. The minimum word requirement for essays and short stories is 300 words and all other submissions should show equal effort. However, you will be discussing many aspects of what we have learned so far in the course, so the word count should not be too difficult.

Remember to include the following:

• What are the effects of the Cure for Boils, the ingredients, and some basic information about its appearance?

• Mention whether this Potion is considered a mixture or a compound.

• Name and define the process that would cause the Potion to go from a liquid to gaseous state. How would the individual particles of the Potion change in activity and density?

• Describe safety hazards as regards location and the potential issues regarding Muggles in the area.

• Consider the hazards this could also pose to Witches and Wizards entering the clinic. For this, remember to consult the usage notes from last lesson.

• If you can, suggest an alternative, safer way that a vaporous Cure for Boils could be used. (optional)

Response

My dear fellows,

Our colleague has recently made a proposal about developing a vaporous version of the Cure for Boils potion. While I think this could be a great experiment that could improve our clinic, I'm a bit worried about his proposal of a mass dispersal method.

I will start by reminding everyone the nature and effects of the Cure for Boils potion. This potion is, as its name suggests, a treatment for the skin infections known as boils. When applied on a boil, the potion will reduce it in a few minutes. After the boil has burst, some care is still needed : the boil area must be cleansed and disinfected until it's completely cured. It's a common potion that is brewed at home by many wizards families. A Cure for Boils phial can be stored for 4 years before it expires. Some allergic reactions are possible, such as a rash and irritation.

The Cure for Boils potion is a compound : its ingredients react together and produce the discussed effects. It's made by mixing snake fangs, horned slugs, porcupine quills and flobberworm mucus. It's usually found in its liquid state, as a sky blue potion. Our colleague has suggested using it as a gas. This implies applying a phase transition to the potion : it must be evaporated. The molecules will be less dense and have a more active movement. This phase transition is caused by a certain amount of energy (heat or magic) to the potion.

First, a study must be performed to determine the amount of energy needed to evaporate a Cure for Boils potion. This amount must not be too important : if it is, the production cost of a vaporous version of the potion may not be worth it. In a second time, we must look for eventual changes in efficiency, expiration date, and new side effects. We must study the vaporous version like a new potion, to avoid all risks.

I will now go on to our colleague method of distribution : a vaporization outside our dermatology clinic, to treat every patient while they enter. Our clinic being situated in an Muggle area, you must understand how dangerous it would be. If Muggles used to be slightly more tolerant to magic compounds before the Statue of Secrecy, our potions are now completely toxic for them. If they were to walk into the "could" of Cure for Boils potion, who knows what effects it would have on them ? And even if we don't talk about this dramatic scenario, we should consider what Muggles would think if they see boils suddenly reduce on people walking by our clinic…

We see that this method is dangerous for Muggles, but what about a clinic in a Muggle-free area ? A "cloud" is not really controllable : how long will it stays, and how long will it be efficient ? How can we contain it ? How to change it when the potion is expired ? All these questions can be solved by magic, but it seems like it's a lot of maintenance for a medicine. 

As I've said earlier, the Cure for Boils potions can cause allergic reactions. It is also dangerous to apply it in sensitive area of skin, and in eyes. It doesn't seem reasonable to expose Wizards to this compound, especially since the "cloud" would be odorless, almost undetectable. We would need to inform people, maybe even mark out a secure area.

An other inconvenient is that EVERYBODY will get the cure, even people who doesn't have any boils. Even if the Cure for Boils potions is not really expensive and difficult to brew, it would create a lot of waste. Moreover, people who really have boils would need to get information about the care after their boils burst, so we would still need to talk to the patients, removing the "automatic care" interest.

Despite all theses arguments, I think a vaporous version of the Cure for Boils potion is a really great idea that we can't abandon. My solution would be to create a "spray" that will contain this gas, and that we would use directly on the boil. Patients would still need to see a doctor, so we would not gain time, but at least patients would get all the info they need. If this first step is successful, we could think about selling the spray in our stores, allowing Wizards family to use it at home, without coming to the clinic.

I hope that you will be convinced by these arguments, and that you will consider both my colleague's ideas and mine.