Two armies clashing in conflict during the European Colonialist era, Britain and France coming to the final battle to establish which of them would be the colonial master of this North American colony later to become Canada. France, busy elsewhere in its studious and militant effort at imperialist outreach and hegemony, more or less surrendered the privilege to Britain. And Britain, in a magnanimous gesture, extended an olive branch of conciliation to the conquered French in Quebec.

But of course that storied battle of conquering bloodshed at the Plains of Abraham, led to the death of General James Wolfe in 1759.
Benjamin West, The Death of General Wolfe, 1770, oil on canvas, 152.6 x 214.5 cm
(National Gallery of Canada)

Who knows how many times as a boy in England, James Wolfe played out battlefield scenes with his boyhood friends, scamps revelling in the rumours and romance of fierce battles with muskets firing and cannons blasting the enemies of Britain to shreds. And perhaps in their lusty exuberance the childhood friends enthusiastically foisted some physical damage on one another. The young Wolfe had only to go to his mother and she would administer a healing potion.

Perhaps had he the foresight to travel with that marvellous healing potion, he might have survived the mortal wound that took his life. And perhaps, recalling having to swallow that evil-tasting fluid medicament that his mother, Henrietta, concocted for healing purposes, he would much rather have preferred not partaking of it since, as an adult he had the choice, whereas as a child that choice escaped him.

Not that the ingredients, being a typical mischievous, nature-struck youngster as most young boys are naturally inclined, would have offended him. Rather they would no doubt have appealed to him, perhaps if the resulting medication had been topically applied, and not swallowed to work its wonders internally. How would you feel about the urging of a mother to 'open wide' and 'swallow swiftly', if you were aware of these ingredients?

"Take a peck of garden snails, wash them in bear, put them in an oven, & let them stay till they have done Crying. Then with a knife & cloth pick ye green from them, & beat ye snails & all in a stone mortor. Then take a quart of green earthworms, slice them through ye middle, & strow them with salt. Then wash them & beat them, ye pott being first put into ye still, with two handfuls of angelica, a quart of rosemary flowers, then ye snails & worms, the Egrimony, red Dock roots, barberry bark, wood sorrel, Rue, Tumerick etc. Then power in 3 gallons of milk. Keep your still covered all night, this done stir it. Distill it with a moderate fire. Ye Patient must take two spoonfuls at a time.
"The butler advises gathering them 'as near as you can out of lavender or Rosemary & not in trees or grass'."