Potions can be argued to be the most flexible aspect of medical applications. Whereas Transfigurations tend to revert in time, and Charms-related materials require extensive practice, potions can be administered by neophytes and experts alike, administering the same effect if the proper directions are followed. To whit, the classification of medical applications must be elaborated upon, in order to best grasp the variety available.
It should be noted that potions designed for bodily modification, whether restoring injuries or enhancing the original framework, possess limited efficacy. The greater the change the more must be used; every individual's personal magic will resist this change to a certain extent, in due time growing to recognize the potion as the source responsible for rapid change. As such a properly trained Healer is essential to the process. Every dosage must be calculated with the minimal quantity necessary for completing the assigned task, persuading the subject's own body that the potion is an aid to the process. For this reason Healers are trained in various approaches, convincing their patients either to accept them as matronly figures, or powerful entities against whom resistance is futile.
For more information on Healer Training techniques, see Grayson's Anatomy, Healer Edition, 13th Publication by Shardiversity Press.
[Potions for Immediate Response]
Potions for immediate health concerns may be arranged in three main categories: Regenerative, Restoratives, and Reversive.
The Three R's are concerned with immediate mediation for organ damage, or removal. They may be used in curse removal, but only in immediate application, which is not often a probable outcome (see Curse Treatment). Cases of Accidental Magic, mild Transfigurations, and physical trauma are often treated by the Three R's, but in different ways.
Regenerative potions employ an accelerated healing factor to their subject. Burns and muscle degradation are often repaired in this fashion. The subject must retain some contact with magic itself, or the potion will not work; for this reason muggles cannot be treated using any of the Three R's. Using this form of energy-intense modification will require the patient to maintain a sedate lifestyle until the prescription has followed its full course. Early termination will leave the target area incomplete, and resistant to additional dosage.
Regenerative potions will only function when the patient's own magic is available. If undergoing a case of Magical Exhaustion, there is no point in administering a Regenerative until some form of treatment has been applied (see Magical Exhaustion Protocols). Given an endless supply, however, it is of equal probability that too much regeneration will cause issues in overgrowth.
Restorative Potions are more complex than Regenerative, due to the inclusion of temporal elements. Most will call for quantities of herbs sensitive to specific times or events. If prepared properly, the potion will acquire a 'signature lock' which guides regeneration to a specific point. Typical Restoratives are keyed to a full week or month prior to application, restoring the affected region to the -state in which it was during that time period. A body's magic 'remembers' its prior state, and will obey.
More powerful elements can be used, involving more expensive components. Phoenix Ash, as an example, may extend the original time signature by years, depending on the age and maturity of the ash doner.
Again, one must maintain the calculations in mind for proper dosage. Administering a high-quality dose of Restorative to a three month old baby will result in catastrophic results (see: Malpractice Morons and their Medical Malfeasance, by Basilides Malfoy). It is then with difficulty to understand that, should the subject be of sufficient age, that there cannot be much chance of committing an error in this manner.
Addendum: utilizing Restorative potions to reverse one's age is common. However, it is less common to be successful in Restoring the age of all affected materials. One's skin may be changed from a septuagenarian's wrinkled physique to the condition of a witch in her late teens, but the underlying musculature connecting skin to the body will require similar enhancement, ad infinitum. Skin goes to muscle, goes to tendons, goes to bones, goes to ligaments, and so on and so forth. It is possible, but prohibitively expensive (see beautification).
Reversive potions are the most expensive, and perhaps the most powerful, of the Three R's. As the name suggests, this category will revert a condition to an earlier state. It is natural to assume this would employ chronological compounds, as in the Restorative category. This can be true, but often is not.
The function of a Reversive potion does not limit itself to returning an injury to an earlier state. Rather it takes a condition and causes a negative reaction. It applies an opposing reaction to negate the primary cause.
Immediate treatments can be encapsulated by the first two of the R's, but there are some which can only be treated by the Reversives. Mental trauma through great loss or injury may drive a wizard's body into a self-feeding loop. Expecting more damage, his magic will act to defend itself, shunning repairs in favor of strengthening conditions that cause immediate protection, if not long-term benefit. Poisons will sometimes induce this effect, although the primary cause is extended trauma. Law enforcement specialists can be expected to fall under this category at some point during their careers, whether at the hands of criminals or through the passage of time.
During the Dark Lord's War, one recorded individual [Name Redacted] was exposed to the Cruciatus for three full minutes. Successful recovery of this individual resulted in immediate medical examination. Because of the significance of the harmful magic, [Name Redacted] was not receptive to standard Restoratives. Any form of additional influence was perceived by the body as an attempt to inflict additional harm; therefore the usage of a Reversive was approved and applied.
The Reversive in this instance utilized neutralizing agents such as unicorn hairs and Fanged geranium. Upon absorption, the inhibitory qualities of these components combined to negate the feedback loop, stopping [Name Redacted]'s magic from locking out external influence. If a Regenerative or Restorative had been applied, there would have been no positive response.
[Potions in Beautification]
Beautification is an oft-sought application in the art of medical craftsmanship. While it is true that beauty is subjective, it is of equal fact that those whom agree upon a common standard are willing to exert considerable financial pressure in order to attain those standards.
In many cases, beautification can be a simple Restorative in topical applications. Hair regains its youthful luster, skin becomes smooth once more. But as an individual ages, the quantity of Restorative needed for similar results increases. This leads to alternatives, mastered by individuals that have since earned literal fortunes from their craft.
In the realm of beautician expertise, modification is considered essential. Changing the shape of one's nose, for example, or increasing the general size of other assets becomes a topic of great import. But altering physical mass away from the original form's baseline proportions is a different matter altogether, becoming far more complex when the change is intended to become the new baseline form. In other words, any healing following beautification treatment will need to correct injuries to the new form. Here we find ourselves identifying a new category, the Transformative medical applications.
When altering a physical form, Transfiguration is involved. If the subject part is connected to a wizard or witch's anatomy (82% of all recorded self-transfiguration is performed by witches, see: Your Body and You, by Nithan e'Set), there could be a constant recognition that this change is desired and must be maintained. The advantage for this approach lies in the simplicity; the witch involved merely needs the requisite skill level, and can sustain the change for as long as she wishes.
The negative prognosis for such a 'permanent-temporary' change is the concentration and constant drain. A witch's body resists change, even changes made by itself, and will attempt to revert to the original baseline form (with the exception of metamorphagi). As the source of magic is the same as the source of reversion, the witch can hold the change for as long as she may concentrate, at the cost of her attention and sometimes a significant portion of her available strength.
There are medical alternatives, albeit expensive. Perhaps half of the total population elects to devote their discretionary income towards permanent Transformative remediation. But there are limitations even here. These limitations can be found listed in Hildegarde's Humanity, by Genevieve Hildegarde, considered to be the most complete evaluation of body-alteration Transfiguration magic.
Abbreviated, the single most important aspect can be found on the first page:
"… But these changes come at a cost: what exists can be changed. What does not exist, cannot be added. A wizard can add or subtract inches to his height and density to his muscles, but he can no more add wings than a stone."
There are exceptions, in the case of temporary transformations, like Polyjuice potion. Some of the more dangerous sacrificial rituals may remove aspects of an entity, or even augment with natural concepts, such as the ancient Druids. There are records of the Druids attaining bark-like skin and standing for months in a forest, at the cost of the innate movement they once possessed (see: Sacrifices, by Dracos Baiticus). Even in the case of Polyjuice, the potion's inherent temporary nature exemplifies the terrifying consequences if a more permanent change is sought.
(Editor's Note: if a permanent change is attained through Polyjuice transformation, please see a Healer at your earliest convenience.)
Transformative potions are, as mentioned, expensive. The more permanent the change sought, the more expensive the dose. As the change desired becomes more and more integral to the body's operating capacity, so too does the expense increase, and not just in economical bounds.
Let us choose a single change for one individual: a reshaping of the face from a thug-like jaw to a more heroic arrangement. Such a change will require the bone structure to be reshaped, the muscles and attaching components to alter their length accordingly, and the skin itself. This is ignoring additional points (veins, arteries, lymphatic tissue, capillaries, adipose tissue, etc.), but serves well enough for an initial view. But even so, we will limit ourselves to the single Transformative quality of bone, the firmament of the wizard's body.
To reshape the bone, changes must be made to the marrow, periosteum, cortical and cancellous tissue. Each change – if temporary – will not affect durability or production of necessary cells within. But if permanent, the changes must account for the changed dimensions. Compact tissue (cortical tissue) must be remade in the proper dimensions or else the jaw will become weaker than glass. Sufficient room within the denser bone must be made for cell-producing marrow, lest the subject be rendered dependent upon Blood-Replenishing Potions for the rest of their natural life.
Altering bone is no challenge to qualified Healers, if restoring the material to its original shape. Convincing the wizard's body that the new shape is its original shape, is a different matter.
Most Transformative potions are created in two stages the flux portion and the set portion. The flux stage often incorporates organic components like boomslang skin and lethifold blood, two substances infamous for their capacity to emulate their neighboring ingredients. A Potions Master must retain careful notes at each stage of the brewing process, lest he neglect to add the appropriate quantity of desired ingredients or mistime the addition. As an ingredient like boomslang skin will adopt the qualities of its immediate surroundings, its own properties must be extracted into the potion at an early stage, then maintained throughout the month-long process.
Potions in the flux stage, as one would expect, retain an incredibly short lifespan measured in weeks if not days.
This material must be balanced by an element of stability, a somewhat easier effort if more tragic when erroneously performed. Once the set stage is complete, the wizard's change is considered permanent, and rendered more difficult to alter than before. It is not unlike certain treated metals; while the end product retains greater rigidity and strength, its malleability is lost.
Creating a set potion requires less expensive components in general. The shelf-life of these ingredients can typically be measured in months or years. Some, such as dragon bone or basilisk venom only gain potency over time, with a feasible usefulness measured in centuries.
(Editor's redaction: This academic will blather on for entire chapters if I don't spare your brain cells.)
At the point of change the presence of a registered beautician expert will be required. After the mandated three meetings beforehand, the expert will know the desired changes. During those three meetings, two detailed models will be constructed of the patient's body, one for the original appearance and one for the desired appearance; this will assist the process, and allow the patient to have time reviewing the alterations, verifying the process is what they wish.
(see: Regulations on Beautician Protocols, With Some Remarks on Legal Representation, WS #301-5A-W2)
While it is possible to administer a single flux potion addressing all layers of change at once, such a treatment would require a grandmaster's production genius. If one were to require a potion that causes change to all the desired levels in addition to rendering the process automatic, the cost would be astronomical (see: The Cost of Beauty, by Vlad t'Meh). It is safe to say that the cost of a single-session alteration of one aspect would be equivalent to three full-body alterations utilizing the layered process.
Returning to the initial method, layered Transformative alterations, let us assume you have correctly acquired and applied the flux stage. One would then add the secondary flux potions, without mixing them.
Depending on the change, these may be ingested or poured on the epidermal layers. Modifying skin tone would of course be topical, but muscle transformations typically are either injected or ingested. Transformations involving large amounts of adipose tissue combine both methods, a hybrid process capable of making significant change in little time. The changes limiting to adipose tissue are also cheaper as a rule, comprising the most often requested Transformative alterations.
(Addendum: adipose tissue is simple to create but adds weight and mass to various points of the anatomy. A temporary change is best to 'try out' this appearance, so that further structural changes may be made to support the changed form)
[Minor Cosmetic Changes]
In the event of a less intrusive alteration, other conditions may apply. Hair color is a common shift, and can be applied through a charm at any point. However, some desire a permanent change, unable to be dismissed through an inopportune finite. Obtaining a permanent change can be acquired through a minor variation on Restorative elixirs.
(Editor's note: Since it has evaded the author's attention, elixirs are classified as potions utilizing an alcohol base. And yes, one could get drunk on elixirs. They'd also have a host of other problems, but being drunk would definitely be one of them.)
To make the change permanent, a dual-mix compound is introduced. While it is possible to drink various versions, it is far easier to wash one's hair using the elixir. The change is eased by the fact that hair is mostly inorganic material; only hair roots are alive, and thus only the roots themselves must be transformed in their melanin production.
Once the flux agent has been introduced, the setting fixative is applied. The timing is somewhat debatable, depending on the alterations extremity, but most will take less than five minutes. Afterwards there will be a time of sensitivity, up to a full day for more sensitive individuals. But the hair will remain the same color until the day of death. Or, unless another color change is desired – but layering another change on top of the first will take a stronger dose, as one might expect.
[Common Potions]
Bone-Growth potions are a branch that encourages ossification within the subject's skeletal system. Excessive consumption generates likewise excess material creation, which in turn can enhance the subject's overall mass. There are limitations of course; muscle development must be enhanced as well, in order to support and mobilize the enlarged skeleton. If the subject quits taking the supplemental potions, the body will reduce the surplus ossified tissue over time.
Hair-Restorer is, contrary to its name, a Regenerative potion. Should an individual be rendered bald through artificial means, an amount is calculated to regenerate the lost hair to the desired length. This is only applicable to that which has been in existence; pattern-baldness will not be cured, although thinning hair will become replete once again.
Blood-Replenishing potions are classified under Restorative. While it is possible fore Regenerative potions to help blood production, a Restorative will take the original volume and recreate it at more reliable rates. The advantage over Regenerative approaches lies in the varying reactivity for the varied patients; each wizard and witch has a differing regenerative rate. Some will regenerate at incredible levels without any assistance, as in the case of Metamorphmagi. Others will have regeneration rates barely higher than that of a Squib.
Using a Restorative bypasses the time-consuming calculations for rate-of-regeneration, and will simply Restore a vital tissue (of which blood is a technical definition) to a known safety margin.
[Magical Exhaustion Treatment: Excerpt from St. Mungo's Training Manual]
Magical Exhaustion is a dangerous state when all magic readily available to an individual is depleted, and the body has not yet finished processing more. It is understood that the process continues at all times, but the energy availability can be emptied of all reserves. While difficult for the layman to conceptualize, it is similar to an academic growing exhausted after hours of study, or an athlete following a strenuous workout. There is no empty organ, we can see no deflated tissue, yet the effect is felt all the same.
Cures for Exhaustion vary on the region, and on the individual. Healers from the Russian Empire voice strong support for rye-based elixirs, mixing vodka and thaumovore components. The Far East show a preference for meditation, using a form of passive Ritual work. The Prussian Collective Healers have written ad nauseum on booster elements immediate benefit, and the Scandinavians blend hot water baths with the consumption of raw herbs (dragonleaf, yarrow, and mint, chiefly).
What can be agreed upon is the necessity for reduced work. Most Healers will adjure their patients to minimal use of magic, enforcing this with bed rest and restraints at times.
If an individual undergoes Magical Exhaustion, he is at risk. Continued usage of magic will result in the direct conversion of potential into usable energy, which reduces the long-term growth of an individual.
When a wizard undergoes heat exhaustion, his body is rendered incapable of supporting the its cooling needs. Liquid is diverted from less essential places in order to lower the body's temperature. The tongue grows dry, muscles cramp, dizziness and nausea follow suit. The lack of a single resource (water) causes all this, and the body drains every location it can find to maintain operational status.
As has been stated, when Magical Exhaustion hits, the wizard's body will plumb every resource in order to keep itself in as close to minimum operating condition. Subtle networks are destroyed, channels broken, everything is devastated so that the wizard can employ just one more mote of power. The resulting damage has turned powerful wizards into squibs, lauded for their sacrifice and shunned from society proper.
Recognizable symptoms include nausea, dizziness, anemic energy levels, pain in extremities, blurred vision, fainting, and coma. Minor cases will cause an individual to become slow-of-thought, lose manual dexterity, and reduce defenses of all kinds.
Should you or one near you exhibit these symptoms, begin taking steps referenced above, and contact a local Healer at your earliest opportunity.
A/N: This marks the 9th year of my advent in fanfiction writing. In due course, I had to write a bit of celebratory work in keeping with the academic profession in which I am employed. As a bit of symbolism, this work is 3,300 words long (sans Author's Note), consists of three main sections, each having three subsections, and so forth. In Word, this document is 7 pages long, rounding out the number of appropriate numerals nicely.
I'd like to dedicate this little ficlet to Brilliant Shard, whom gave the idea for medical applications, and to the LeadVonE Discord server, whom has provided so many 'author' names and ideas over the years. I discovered them over Mr. Coomb's 'Richard Struggle' tale, which is still one of my fond favorites, and have enjoyed the occasional literary badinage with them over the years.
I hope to have a new pair of stories celebrating my 10th anniversary, but until then, here's to another 9 years!
