Universal Antidote

A universal antidote that would cure most potions is a bezoar. A Bezoar is a stone that is found in the belly of a goat. Mainly the bezoar is found in the belly of a goat but it can also be found in other vegatable eating animals as well as being found in some humans. Yet majority of bezoars are found in the intestines ofgoats from the Perian moutains. Many people claim that it is a actually stone (some claim it is a ruby red) while others say that it is just a hard ball of vegetable fiber or hair that the animal has eaten, it gathered in the stomach over years. There are nine different varieties of bezoars in the world. The word bezoar is a persian word that actually means counter-poisen and antidote. People discovered its magical powers in the medieval times. They used the stone to rub on infected areas of their bodies or it should be swallowed.

They were introduced to Europe from the Middle East sometime in the 11th century. Because of the belief that the bezoar cured most potions and sicknesses, it became very rare and sought after back in the old ages. One stone of bezoar could even be exchanged for ten stones on gold! People found other uses for them rather then swallowing them. They wore it around their neck, grindedthe stone to become a dust to drink, or even just put the stone in a glass of water and drinking the water it soaked in rather then swallowing it because it was so valuable. Later on legends added to the bezoar and people claimed that not only the bezoar gave protection from potions but it also make one stay forever young as well as repell predators such as snakes.

One famous case about the bezoar's magical powers was in England when a saleperson sold a bezoar to a customer claiming it could cure all his sicknesses. The customer caught a cold and sued the saleperson for selling him a "defected" bezoar. Whether or not the bezoar can actually prevent potions from working is still in debate today. Recent scientists have even stated that the bezoar may even cause sickness in the animals stomaches because of the bacteria that gathers in the stone. Royalty even started to have bezoars glued to the rims of their goblets to prevent people from trying to poison them. Yet when more and more sicknesses was introduced into the world, people soon lost faith in the bezoar and turned to western medicine.


Sources: http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-bez1.htm, http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/b/bezoar.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bezoar