Chapter 119 Who Is Still Brewing Traditional Magic Potions?
Mr. Pavlov, the great potionist and dog lover, once said: "With humans, there are medical activities."
This is absolutely true. Since the birth of human beings, we have been engaged in various medical activities. The search for a universal antidote that can fight all poisons has been almost throughout human history.
And wizards discovered after extensive research that bezoar, activated charcoal, and snake stone (fossilized shark teeth) have a wide range of detoxifying abilities.
Of course, this "extensive" is a relative term and cannot really solve all toxins.
The potion taught by Professor Snape is also a "universal" antidote with certain limits.
However, after the little wizards saw the ingredients on the blackboard, they were a little inexplicably afraid:
Cantharidin, aconite, bitter almond, adder venom, puffer fish liver, long-horned toad skin... are all poisonous substances, and each single one can poison a person.
If you just look at the formula, it's hard not to suspect that this is not brewing a universal antidote, but preparing the ultimate mixed poison!
Macmillan took advantage of Snape's back, moved his lips slightly, and said in a weak voice:
"Are you sure he didn't get the recipe wrong?"
If Snape mixed up the poison and the antidote, and everyone took them after brewing them, wouldn't it be a disaster?
Justin hesitated and whispered: "Is this the legendary...fighting fire with fire?"
Snape clearly did not turn around, but as if there were eyes behind his back, he whispered softly:
"Are there any words you two don't recognize, Macmillan, Finlay?"
The two were startled and stood up tremblingly. Justin stammered: "Professor, we know how to read."
"Then what are you whispering about?" Snape turned around, his cold black eyes shining with a terrifying light.
Justin was too scared to speak, and so was McMillan.
But he suddenly remembered the little Muggle story he had heard from Rove:
The old professor temporarily changed the exam time. Only one student expressed doubts in class, saying that it would affect his review of other homework.
The old professor admired the student's courage and gave him full marks without letting him take the exam.
Maybe Snape is like this too. He doesn't like obedient little wizards, but he likes rebellious students?
When Rove was in second year, didn't he also change the ingredients of Snape's potion, but in the end he got extra points? !
When MacMillan thought of this, he was filled with fear, his head became hot, and he said loudly:
"Professor Snape, I think you are wrong. What you gave was not the antidote, but the poison formula!"
As soon as these words came out, it was shocking!
The students all took a breath. If you dare to say such things, MacMillan is risking your life?
Luo Fu couldn't help but hold his forehead. Did this stupid kid drink fake wine or drank too much poisonous chicken soup?
Snape slowly walked towards MacMillan. He stared at him and said coldly:
"So, you are questioning the potion I invented?"
"No... I just think..." McMillan couldn't help but shrink back and said:
"These magic materials are highly poisonous. Can the brewed potion really be used as an antidote?"
"Okay, okay, okay!" Snape said three good words in a row and sneered:
"I never thought I'd meet a fourth-year student who doesn't understand such simple pharmacology—Scamander!—and you answer this stupid question for me."
Luofu stood up helplessly and said softly: "Before brewing the potion, we will attenuate and detoxify the toxic magic materials."
“What are the ways to reduce and detoxify?”
"Heating to detoxify, adding excipients to detoxify, squeezing to detoxify, soaking and rinsing to detoxify, and removing poisonous parts - through these methods, we can achieve the purpose of reducing toxicity." Luo Fu said quickly.
Without Snape's prompting, the young wizards jotted down their notes.
"Twenty points from Hufflepuff for contradicting you, and you will be left after school to clean toad guts, MacMillan."
Snape's face was close to the tearful MacMillan, and he showed his signature sarcastic smile:
"If I ever hear you questioning my potion again, I'm going to make you regret it terribly."
In the following classes, no student dared to question Snape. After everyone received the magic materials, they followed the steps on the blackboard and carefully brewed the antidote.
As Luofu said, before brewing the antidote, the magic materials need to be detoxified. If this step is not handled properly, the magic potion will turn into poison.
Snape had told how to detoxify each material, but he never mentioned it in a systematic way. He only mentioned it in passing when he encountered a certain material.
The processing method of puffer fish liver can even be traced back to the first grade. Who the hell remembers this? !
The little wizards had no choice but to flip through their previous notes and start checking them one by one.
Rolf and Shirley were also processing magical materials, but they did not follow the steps taught by Snape to remove the poison.
Of course Snape noticed this. He immediately stood next to the cauldron and stared at the two people with dead fish eyes.
When the other students saw this scene, they all expressed infinite admiration for Rove and Shirley.
McMillan had just tried his best, and they both dared to go against the wind. How brave they were!
McMillan was also happy, now he had someone to accompany him in confinement... Hehe!
Shirley, who was handling the horned toad, was instinctively nervous. Rolf sat next to the girl and gently held her cold hand.
Although he let go quickly, Snape still noticed it. He pulled the corner of his mouth expressionlessly and showed a sneer.
In front of me, you dare to hold hands like this... Scamander and Swinton are already dead!
But Snape was soon stunned.
When he detoxified the Aconitum, he would add licorice and honey, and then steam it over high heat for a long time... The steps were extremely cumbersome.
And Scamander just added a potion, rinsed it for a while, and then threw the Aconitum into the crucible.
A faintly flickering silver-white steam came out of the crucible, which meant that the detoxification was successful... How could Scamander be so fast? !
Snape couldn't help but pick up the medicine bottle, put it on his hooked nose and sniffed it. He frowned and said, "Alum?"
"Yes, professor, I added alum!" Rolf nodded and said:
"Alum is a complex salt. It can dissociate into aluminum ions in water and adsorb toxic alkaloids and glycosides. Using alum to make aconitum can cause aconitine to precipitate in the aqueous solution and accelerate the elimination of toxic substances."
"..."
Snape was confused. Aluminum ions, aconitine, alkaloids...what are these?
After a moment of silence, he said with a flickering look in his eyes: "Who taught you to deal with aconitum like this?"
Rolf couldn't say that it was his chemistry teacher in his previous life. He thought about it and said, "Muggles deal with it this way.
They also invented many other chemicals to deal with various magical materials, which are much more convenient than traditional treatment methods."
Snape narrowed his eyes. It seems that Muggles still have some tricks.
"Professor, I've written it all down here." Rolf took out a notebook and handed it to Snape, saying:
"If you don't understand something, you can ask me... I know a little bit about chemistry."
"..."
Snape hesitated for a moment, but still took the notebook.
The whole class was in an uproar.
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