Editor's Note:

Due to legal implications, the actual dosages required for making the following recipe have been removed. While we doubt that any of our readers would attempt to actually 'Make' a Zombie powder from this recipe, one never knows, does one? Consequently, the ingredients are listed, but the amounts needed and the formulation process have been deleted. Sorry, but it is for your own protection. Thank you, TDS.

Mama Saranna’s Homemade Zombie Recipe by Saranna DeWylde

Okay, so it isn’t really just mine, but in my research for my story, Le Sangre, I did extensive reading on the vodun, voodoo, and hoodoo religions. And in my research, I came across one of the more prolific writers concerning the subject; Wade Davis. Two of his more well-known works are The Serpent and the Rainbow and Passage of Darkness.

In his research, Mr. Davis has had access to several versions of the zombie powder used to make the traditional “Haitian Zombie”. The best hypothesis, through much testing, has concluded that the active ingredient in the powder is the toxin from a puffer fish. But there are several other ingredients that are added to enhance the disturbing effects of the powder.

*Tcha-Tcha
This member of the legume family, Albizia Lebbeck, has pharmacological activities due to a group of glycosides known as saponins. While most saponins cannot be absorbed by the intestine, they can be applied topically. The symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, excessive secretion in the respiratory passages, and pulmonary edema. If fatal, the victim drowns in his own fluids. This particular Albizia also contains a particular type of saponin known as sapotoxin, which interferes with cellular respiration in all parts of the body and causes death by weakening all vital functions.

Consigne
The tree, Trichilia Hirta, is used medicinally in Cuba, where infusions of the leaves are used to treat anemia, asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. It is also used in magic rituals by the Yoruba-Bakongo cults. Relatives of this tree are used by some African tribes to induce vomiting or as an enema; excessive dosages can be fatal.

Pois Gratter
This liana vine, Mucuna Pruriens, does contain psychoactive substances, but that's not why it's used in the zombie poison. The fruit of the plant is covered in trichomes (surface hairs) which cause severe itching due to an enzyme known as Mucunain. These trichomes also contain histamine-releasing substances, similar to those found in bee and snake venom. An infusion of this plant is sometimes used to get rid of internal parasites, since the redness, burning, itching, and blistering that the fruit can cause to a person's skin will also be noxious to any intestinal parasites. One hair underneath the skin is enough to produce a reaction.

Maman Guepes and Mashasha
Both of these plants (Urera Baccifera and Dalechampia Scandens, respectively) are members of the stinging nettle family. When the plant is touched, the stinging hairs break, and fluid that is produced at the base of the hair is injected into the skin. This fluid contains acetylcholine, histamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine, and causes burning, itching, and swelling.

Calmador
This is Jamaican Dumbcane, Dieffenbachia Sequine. Like other members of the Dieffenbachia, it contains calcium oxalate crystals in its leaves. These crystals irritate tissues causing swelling.

Bwa Pine
Supposedly this tree, Zanthoxylum Martinicense, has a narcotic effect. An infusion of the bark is used in Jamaica to treat syphilis. Chewing on the bark relieves toothaches. The juice of young roots is used to treat intestinal problems. It is used in the zombie poison for its irritating spines.

Pomme Cajou
This is the cashew plant, Anacardium Occidentale, which is a member of the poison ivy family. Raw cashews are known to be poisonous. Like any other member of the poison ivy family, exposure to any part of the cashew plant can cause inflammation of the skin, due to substances which include cardol, anacardic acid, anacardol, and cardanol.

Bresillet
The Comocladia Glabra tree is detested by the Haitians, but eradication of the tree is difficult since the smoke from burning them is dangerous. The toxic resins given off by the plant cause severe inflammation and dermatitis. The itching caused by the plant is so extreme that most of the damage done to the skin is self-inflicted. A related species in Cuba is considered an evil, diabolical plant: 'Evil comes naturally to it and no one dares touch it.'

The zombie powder is applied topically, so these plants that irritate the skin are important. It allows for the victims to infect themselves, by scratching and splitting the skin, allowing the powder to be worked into the bloodstream where the other poisons can work.

The reader should note that practitioners of the true vodun, voodoo, or hoodoo faiths abhor the practice of zombie making and it is not a central part of those religions. But those among them that do are called bokor, or bokur- which translated, basically means “dark sorcerer”.

Well, my pretties, now that you have a recipe for you own homemade zombies, you need to know how to put your toys away when you are done playing with them. To give your zombies true death, feed them pistachios.

You might think twice about scratching that stray itch…