About Pessimystic Poisons
"Where the Dark Academia Aesthetic Meets Deadly Serious Botany"
Welcome to Pessimystic Poisons—a journal for those who prefer their herbology with footnotes, their remedies with safety disclaimers, and their history with a healthy dose of skepticism. Part grimoire, part peer-reviewed guide, we explore the razor’s edge between medicine and menace, from medieval monastic cures to modern pharmacognosy.
We found most herbalism texts tell you “How to” make the remedy but not “Why” it works. Additionally, they may tell you to “drink a cup of tea” or “consume 15 drops”. But people aren’t clones, maladies aren’t standard there is no one dose for everyone. Pessimystic Poisons aims to fill that gap. When it comes to remedies we will tell you: How to make it, Why it works, The moder pharmacology equivalent, and give you enough scientific information for dosing to make sure you can not only make but also understand and effectively use the information provided. And obviously we hope to entertain too!
Each issue blends:
Historical horrors (lead-laced salves, opium-stuffed teddy bears)
Occult oddities (Hecate’s favorite herbs, cursed poultices)
Modern science (because even poison gardens need lab tests)
For collectors of curious knowledge, gardeners of gothic apothecaries, and anyone who’s ever wondered: "Would this 16th-century headache 'cure' kill me faster than the migraine?"
Approach with caution. Annotate with glee.