Bezoar Stones
‘A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons.’
PROFESSOR SNAPE-HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
BEZOAR STONES really do exist. The stones are found in the stomach of certain animals and are made up of a collection of undigested fibre. They vary in size but are usually roughly the size of a hen's egg. Taken from the Persian word for antidote, bezoars were first introduced into medieval Europe by Arabic physicians. They have been found in the guts of cows and even elephants, but mostly they come from the ‘bezoar goat’.
A bezoar stone in a gold filigree case
SCIENCE MUSEUM
It was thought that the stones would cure you from almost any poison and even though not everyone believed in their magical properties, bezoar stones remained popular well into the 18th century. Wealthy collectors such as popes, kings and noblemen spent huge amounts of money so that they could have the best stones. According to A Compleat History of Druggs, the strength of the bezoar stone depends on the animal that produces it.
In The Half-Blood Prince, Harry notices an instruction in his copy of Advanced Potion-Making while in Professor Slughorn's Potions class:
Just shove a bezoar down their throats
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
He does exactly that when Ron drinks some poisoned mead, and saves his friend's life. However, although this worked for Harry and Ron you should never try this at home!
FACT
ANIMALS
In the past, different parts of animals were used in potions. People thought that you would gain characteristics of the animal by doing this. One such invisibility potion involved adding a black cat to your recipe. Black cats are almost impossible to see at night and so it was believed that the drinker would become hard to see.
Pierre Pomet, A Compleat History of Druggs, 2nd edn (London, 1725)
BRITISH LIBRARY