Pokey

I've come to the conclusion that this comment is one of the sources of said misinformation:

^ I will address the link the Reddit user embedded later. (Also, don't send hate to this person. Idk if anyone would over literal chicken soup discourse, but you never know.)

!!! - Also, all the links to my sources are underlined. Take the time to check them out. Don't do what I and many others do and just take my word for it. Just skimming through the sources is enough.

Chicken Soup:

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. Do you know what potentially has anti-inflammatory properties? Chicken soup. Do you know what is full of vitamins and antioxidants? Chicken soup. Do you know what is full of water and is hydrating? Chicken soup.

Silkie Chicken:

If you take a quick Google search, there's no evidence that suggests that consuming silkie chicken worsens a person's encephalitis.

Red Dates/Jujube Fruits/Chinese Dates:

You know what is high in fiber and antioxidants AND is anti-inflammatory AND could potentially provide pain relief? Red Dates. Now, I will recognize that Will had seizures and may have been on anti-seizure drugs. Red dates and anti-seizure drugs can potentially interact with one another and be unhealthy. BUT IT DOES NOT WORSEN ENCEPHALITIS! If anything, it should do the opposite considering it's anti-inflammatory.

Ginseng* & Ginger (+):

*(please note this particular study was conducted on animals)

There isn't very clear information about ginseng and any harm it could do to those with encephalitis. If anything, all the research I found supported the idea that ginseng (especially red ginseng) could help those with encephalitis. Ginseng and ginger is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These could reduce inflammation of the brain and fever. Ginger has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that could potentially help relieve encephalitis (of course, not cure it).

Wolfberries/Goji Fruit:

Wolfberries have plenty of antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory, have lots of vitamin C, and have immunomodulatory effects. They can interact with certain medications, though, like blood thinners, medications for blood pressure, and medications for diabetes.

Star Anise:

There are 2 types of star anise: Chinese star anise and Japanese star anise. Chinese star anise is safe to eat and is used as a spice, meanwhile Japanese star anise IS NOT safe to eat as it's incredibly toxic. Chinese star anise is high in minerals and vitamins. From what I found, there's no research suggesting that Chinese star anise worsens encephalitis, unless it were to cross contaminate with the Japanese star anise.

^The Reddit User's Source:

The source is a person's professional blog. From what I read, this blog proves the opposite of what it claims (that Hannibal may have abused TCM to worsen Will's condition). If anything, this blog helps support the idea that chicken soup (and the ingredients in Hannibal's chicken soup specifically) help those with encephalitis. They point out how silkie chicken has many antioxidants, (the following is TCM) help tonify the kidney and liver, red dates help tonify the blood and calm the spirit, ginseng (specifically ren shen) is an adaptogen and Qi tonic, and finally, star anise helps with digestion and also warms the Middle Jiao. Nowhere in their blog do they mention how these could harm the brain or make inflammation worse. They do note, however, that wolfberries and ginger are usually not good for those who are experiencing a high fever (which Will Graham was also experiencing). With Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), wolfberries are seen as a "warming" food and could worsen inflammation. Ginger, however, considering modern medicine, as stated above, actually has anti-inflammatory properties. The singular point that wolfberries could worsen inflammation (according to TCM) is really the only thing that argues their point. They do note how we don't know how much of what Hannibal put into the soup, but I doubt he put too much of one thing in, as he's a great chef, and I imagine he wouldn't want to overpower the soup with one flavor.

Final Notes:

Some may argue that Hannibal could have put Japanese star anise into the soup, but as I noted above, it's TOXIC. It is LETHAL. You can literally die from consuming it. Also, we already know that Hannibal isn't one to poison food. "I didn't poison you, Tobias. I wouldn't do that to the food" (Dr. Hannibal Lecter, 'Fromage'). Now, do I think Hannibal is above making Will's encephalitis worse? No. If anything, it'd benefit him, as it'd keep Will confused and susceptible to Hannibal's suggestions. But based on all this evidence, it's reasonable to conclude that Hannibal wasn't trying to make Will worse. In fact, he was doing the opposite. Hannibal was aiding Will's recovery. And: CHICKEN SOUP DOESN'T WORSEN ENCEPHALITIS! Thank you for your time.