Mama Val's Quick Remedies
This book was first penned in 1973 by Valencia "Mama Val" Curtis, an employee of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries from 1946 until her death in 1979. She was a well-beloved nurse and then healer who was known for her enthusiasm and the great care she took with her patients. This recipe book has been reprinted three times by the publisher Mervin's Medicinal Ministrations, LLC. The latest edition was printed in 2003, and included updated recipes and corrections.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
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Allergy Ointment (Topical)
Chapter 9
Allergy Ointment (Topical)
Estimated Brewing Time:
Pewter cauldron: 126 minutes
Brass cauldron: 114 minutes
Copper cauldron: 104 minutes
Ingredients:
One and a quarter (1.25) liters of water
Thirty (30) ml essence of dittany1
One (1) peeled Shrivelfig2
Three (3) butterfly wings2
Four (4) dragonfly thoraxes1
45 ml eucalyptus oil1
Thirty (30) ml fresh lemon juice2
Three (3) peppermint leaves3
Sixty (60) ml Flobberworm mucus3
Instructions:
Part One:
- Add 500 ml of water and bring the heat to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
- Juice One Shrivelfig into a clean vial and put that vial to the side for later use.
- Add three butterfly wings and four dragonfly thoraxes to the mortar. Crush it to a fine and even consistency with your pestle. Place this to the side for later use.
- Add 15 ml of essence of dittany to the cauldron.
- Add two tablespoons of the crushed mixture in your mortar to the cauldron.
- Stir twice counter-clockwise.
- Add 15 ml of Flobberworm mucus to the cauldron.
- Bring the heat up to 383 Kelvin (110°C/230°F) for twenty seconds, and then reduce heat again to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
- Add one half of the fresh Shrivelfig juice to the cauldron.
- Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 28 minutes (this would be 25 minutes in a brass cauldron and 23 minutes in a copper cauldron).
At the end of Part One, your potion will be a silvery-grey and emit a smoke with a slight gold hue with a few red sparks.
Part Two:
- Add 500 ml of water to the cauldron.
- Add thirty ml of eucalyptus oil to the cauldron.
- Add remaining half of the fresh Shrivelfig juice to the cauldron.
- Stir once clockwise.
- Bring the heat up to 383 Kelvin (110°C/230°F) for 45 seconds, and then reduce heat again to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
- Add 15 ml essence of dittany to the cauldron.
- Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 63 minutes (this would be 56 minutes in a brass cauldron and fifty minutes in a copper cauldron.)
The potion will have turned a greenish-blue at this point, and the smoke will be a coppery-grey in hue.
Part Three:
- Add 250 ml water to the cauldron.
- Add thirty ml fresh-squeezed lemon juice to the cauldron.
- Stir once clockwise.
- Add 15 ml eucalyptus oil to the cauldron.
- Add three peppermint leaves to the cauldron.
- Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for twenty minutes (this would be 18 minutes in a brass cauldron and 16 minutes
- Remove your cauldron from the flame entirely and allow it to cool for approximately five minutes. Add 45 ml Flobberworm mucus for texture and stir with your non-magical stirring implement, such as a wooden spoon. When it has reached an even consistency, siphon the potion into your phials for storage.
The ointment will be a pale pinkish grey and will smell a little like sandalwood. It should be relatively even in color with flecks or streaks of mint green in it. These streaks are normal, and cannot be stirred away.
To Store:
This Allergy Ointment can be stored up to two years if kept in a room temperature or slightly cooler location. It should avoid direct sunlight, as the parts of the mixture will separate. If exposed to a good deal of heat, the potion should still be effective, but it has the tendency to get runny in texture.
To Use:
When topical allergic reactions, such as rashes or hives, emerge, the area should be cleaned of whatever allergen is causing the rash. The ointment should then be applied to the site of the rash. For conservation's sake, use just enough of the ointment to cover the area exhibiting allergic signs. Please note that this ointment can also be used in the case of poison ivy and poison oak, as well as other substances that cause topical allergic reactions, in a large percentage of the community.
Effects:
The rash should begin to disappear within two to five minutes after the ointment has been applied. However, in the case of particularly large or severe rashes, this can take up to four or five hours before the rash disappears in full. It should be noted that this ointment will not help in the case of irritant-based rashes or chemical burns, but only with skin reactions relating to allergies.
Caution:
This ointment is safe for use by children. However, owing to the inclusion of butterfly wings, it is not recommended for use by women who are pregnant, who may become pregnant, or who are currently nursing unless they have consent of a healer. Although the impact of the butterfly wings is very small, trace amounts of this ingredient may get into the bloodstream.
Allergic reactions to this ointment are very rare. However, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in this potion, it is wise to consult with a healer before using it for allergic rashes or hives.
