Who was the old man?

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Originally Posted by Morthoron

As you can see, there is never a direct reference to Saruman regarding Theoden's stuppor (drowsiness, a sure sign one is drugged), and Grima is held responsible for the prolonged and addled dependence of Theoden. In addition, Theoden himself uses the word 'leechcraft', which by definition refers to archaic medicinal practices. In an analogical sense 'honey in the ear' is whispered lies as well as a non-invasive method of introducing poison into the body.

Far be it for me to argue with the Professor, but I would think that 'poison' is too strong a word. Drugging need not be poisoning at some dosage, as we acetaminophen users know. Could Grima been 'dosing' Theoden with some type of narcotic that dulled his mind?

But pharmacopeia doesn't seem like Saruman's thing, but more like something Radagast would use. Could it have been more of the psychic drugging, like the mental abuse a torturer uses to break the will of a captive - nothing physical, just relentless words that darken the listener's skies?

If it truly were a physical poison, then how did Gandalf cure such a thing, as we don't see him curing anything, even the Black Breath, later in the Houses of Healing?