Lupin and Wolfsbane potion

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 147550

Sydney:

> > It's possible that the Wolfsbane potion could be poisonous if not made
> > exactly right-- the main ingredient being wolfsbane or aconitum
> > luparia, which like most aconites is fatally toxic. 

> 
> bboyminn:

> there may be something in the
> Wolfsbane Potion that neutralizes the poison, but it must be brewed
> with extreme care for that to take place. 

Sydney:

>From the every-useful Wikipedia:

"Aconitine is a potent neurotoxin that blocks tetrodotoxin-sensitive
sodium channels. Pretreatment with barakol (10 mg/kg i.v. - that is
intravenously - the compound is isolated from the leaves of Cassia
siamea Lam) reduces the incidence of aconitine-induced ventricular
fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, as well as mortality."

Always good to reduce that mortality! <g>

In PoA, when Snape brings Lupin his potion it is described as
'steaming', and Snape tells Lupin he had better drink it immediately.
 Of course Snape will say anything if can be annoying, but I think
there's an indication that the potion isn't stable-- perhaps it's held
in an emulsion, or needs to reach a certain temperature and not cool
down.  That would explain why you can't just buy it bottled-- or
surely Sirius would have provided some cash for that?  If you need to
be physically at the same place the potion is made (flooing or
apparating being too disruptive to the potion), the difficulties of
obtaining it would be compounded.

Altogether, I think the reason Lupin doesn't make his own potion, or
has another Order member do it at Grimmauld Place, is that it really
IS that hard, and failure would be a little more serious than a
collapsed souffle.  


-- Sydney, who IS going to reply to the ESE! thread but was at work
till ungodly hours last night and needs to wake up a little first