Venice Treacle

## Background

Venice treacle, also known as *theriac,* is an antidote for snake venom. It is comprised of sixty-four ingredients, and takes four months to make. It is theorized to help with the plague symptoms, though Benedict Blackthorn thinks it is due to the poppy in it, rather than anything else.

## Properties

* Antidote for snake venom- doesn't work for all species of snake
* Relaxes patients with the plague- may just be due to the poppy

## The Blackthorn Key

Venice treacle is very briefly mentioned at the beginning of the book, and is one of the things that Master Benedict taught Christopher to make.

## Mark of the Plague

In *Mark of the Plague*, two men come into the Blackthorn Apothecary and demand some Venice treacle in exchange for a large sum of money. They refuse to buy someone else's, as they say that 'Blackthorn's is the best'. Christopher cannot sell it to them, since it is illegal for an apprentice to sell remedies.

Later in the book, Christopher shows some of the treacle that he made earlier to Galen. Though the latter is impressed at the treacle's quality, he still refuses to let Christopher work with him.

## The Assassin's Curse

In *The Assassin's Curse,* Christopher gives a girl named Lisette Venice treacle after she got bitten by a snake in the duchess's chambers. Simon Challestein sees this and deduces incorrectly that he must be the assassin- there is no other explanation as to why a baron (who Christopher was posing as) would carry around Venice treacle.

## Recipe

In the books, the recipe to Venice treacle is unknown, though it is said to have poppy as one of the ingredients.

In real life, the ingredients are as what follows:

**Roots**: Iris, Balsamorhiza deltoidea, Potentilla reptans (creeping cinquefoil), Rheum rhabarbarum (garden rhubarb), Zingiber officinale, Angustifolia odorata, Gentiana, Meum athamanticum (spignel), Valeriana, Corydalis cava (hollowroot), glycyrrhiza

**Stems and barks**: Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon), Cinnamomum aromaticum (cassia)

**Leaves**: Teucrium scordium (water germander), Fraxinus excelsior, Clinopodium calamintha (lesser calamint), Marrubium vulgare (white or common horehound), Cymbopogon citratus (West-Indian lemongrass), Teucrium chamaedrys (wall germander), Cupressasae, Laurus nobilis (bay laurel), Polium montanum, Cytinus hypocistis

**Flowers**: Rosa, Crocus sativus, Lavandula stoechas (French lavender), Lavandula angustifolia (common or English lavender), Centaurea minoris

**Fruits and seeds**: Brassica napus (rapeseed), Petroselinum (parsley), Nigella sativa, Pimpinella anisum (anise), Elettaria cardamomum, Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), seseli, thlaspi, Daucus carota (carrot), Piper nigrum (black pepper), Piper longum (long pepper), Juniperus (juniper), Syzygium aromaticum (clove), Canary Island wine, Agaricus fruiting bodies

**Gums, oils and resins**: Acaciae (acacia), Styrax benzoin, Gummi arabicum, Sagapeni (wax of an unknown tree, possibly some kind of Ferula), Gummi Opopanax chironium, Gummi Ferula foetida, Commiphora (myrrh), incense, Turpentine from Cyprus, oil from Myristica fragans (nutmeg), Papaver somniverum latex (opium).

**Animal parts and products**: Castoreum, Trochisci Viperarum, Narbonne white honey

**Mineral substances**: Boli armen. verae, Chalciditis (copper salts), Dead sea bitumen

Theriac is a real medical ointment created by the Greeks.