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The Draught of Lethe (Banks/Waters)
Both versions of this tonic use henbane, euphorbia, and datura, as well as a species of nepenthe developed in England around the early sixteenth century.
The variety is more mild than its Greek and Egyptian counterparts (not to be confused with the pitcher plants bearing the same genus) and may have been referenced by Spenser.
(See also Meng Po’s soup or tea of oblivion.)
The distinguishing ingredient between the formulas is black vitriol derived from mummia.
Originally developed as a purifying substance, it quite literally corrodes memory.
But its reach is impossible to predict. For this reason, application of the Waters of Lethe as opposed to the Banks—i.e.
, true submersion—is extremely hazardous and risks compromising the subject’s understanding of both the world and himself.
—Notes from the Grimoire of Pamela Dawes (unpublished)