In my youth, I was fortunate to happen upon a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped. For as difficult as 12-year-old me found it to parse, I enjoyed it, and now - years later - I find my in game encounter with Lily of the Valley has prompted me to think of it once more; in the first chapter, as Davie sets off for his uncle's estate, the local minister gives him gifts to aid him in his journey, including a gift that, "was to help [him] so wonderfully both in health and sickness all the days of [his] life, was a little piece of coarse yellow paper, written upon thus in red ink:
“TO MAKE LILLY OF THE VALLEY WATER.—Take the flowers of lilly of the valley and distil them in sack, and drink a spooneful or two as there is occasion. It restores speech to those that have the dumb palsey. It is good against the Gout; it comforts the heart and strengthens the memory; and the flowers, put into a Glasse, close stopt, and set into ane hill of ants for a month, then take it out, and you will find a liquor which comes from the flowers, which keep in a vial; it is good, ill or well, and whether man or woman.”
And then, in the minister’s own hand, was added:
“Likewise for sprains, rub it in; and for the cholic, a great spooneful in the hour,” (Stevenson, 1886).
Convallaria Majalis contains cardiac glycosides which slow heart rate but increase the force of contraction, as such, the plant has been used to treat heart arythmia. However, this same property makes the plant poisonous if consumed accidentally or used improperly.
As such, I think lily of the valley water could be an interesting medical item that gives a bigger boost to health if used in a low health state (ie. it regulates the fluttering heart of a player near death's door), but which will harm or outright kill the player if taken too frequently.
