Goreans are rarely sick. Many toxins are found though and a Gorean may be poisoned...or injured...though they heal amazingly fast...a severed limb ...reattached is fully functional in three days...a wound unless needing stitching only needs to be cleaned and lightly coated with antiseptic salve
Wounds that require cauterising for blood loss and stitching ...or just stitching will take only a couple of days to heal...
Bruises and strains take merely a day...they are treated with herbal liniment...and ice or soaks in the hot springs
Poisons work fast. Usually by the third heartbeat of the slave testing the food who will be dead by the 10th heartbeat...but recovery if given milk and honey and the antidote is swift It only takes a couple of hours and the slave is back to work
Emergency med kits
If the Master calls for field dressing when He gets back then have dressings all ready prepared with ointment...and all set to be tied on with strips of leather...to brace and protect the injury...there’s some needles for quick stitches with gut if needed....
Medical supplies
These are usually kept in the med room they consist of fine forged surgical implements. .
Essentially.tweezers.pliers...some items to retract flesh, flexible chest tubes and small wood handled cauterising irons...and many different size and sharp fine needles for stitching...spools of gut of different strength are there for stitching Medical treatment
Soft cotton pads and clean boiled rence cloths are there for blood loss and bandaging...
Rolls of silk bandages are also in every kit in good supply and soft verr skin bags to be filled and used as ice packs or heating pads
Bottles of the poisons antidote supplied by the Priest kings and some strong herbal emetics much like ipecac...to be given with large doses of milk and honey till the slave brings up the poison then the antidote is to be given
Some of the herbs available are kanda leaf.... a poison if ingested. But when chewed. Numbs the body thus relieving pain...too much chewed will also poison and it IS a hallucinogenic and should be used only sparingly.... this is ground fine and added to salve of boiled lards...steamed to purify and is used as kanda leaf salve ...numbing the skin its applied to...
There is a small herbal garden near the Great Hall...tending this is one of the slaves chores.
Vanir's Fjord is a wealthy settlement and bottled antiseptics are used for cleansing and disinfecting wounds... do not use paga unless you are far from the main steadying.... ex. Out in a field, the forest or at sea
If in primitive situations where bottled antiseptic is not available the following may be used: a green herbal powder of antiseptic properties is available to add to paga for a sterilizing anti infective purpose...to bathe wounds it may also be sprinkled on dressings... wound infections are almost unheard of.
Valerian (sleeping aid) is used in the herbal tea with small amounts of kanda.this tea.kept constantly heating on braziers near the fire aids in prevention of infection...pain relief and making One sleepy
Willow bark may be added to teas for bruises strains or head injury or used alone for headache
Peppermint is used in teas along with ginger to relieve upset digestion...very very rare
Lemon and honey and ginger in tea are a restorative for sore throats also very rare. Almost unheard of in a gorean
Med kits are to be kept up and it is one of the girls’ daily chores. Check the kits and restock them where needed.kanda salve, needles, gut, clean cotton bandages and cloths, antispectic herbs all should be in the kit.plus tweezers and pliers and a small pair of scissors.
Braziers at the fire hold herbal tea. Will sooth pain and prevent infection. And beef broth with herbs. A blood restorer...and cauterising irons...to sear wounds that bleed too much. That brought back by black ships from Earth.allowed by the Priest Kings.
Pliers are used to help pull out arrows or quivas.remember it might mean a girl's death to touch any weapon with her hands.
Herbs are bloodroot, parsley, and comphort, willow bark. All imported from Earth.
Juice made from the root of the kalana, which is used to cleanse and disinfect also
The powder is made from crushed kanda laves, helps stop the pain and used as a numbing salve
Med kits in med room and other strategic places around the hall. Supplies in order in kits... antiseptic in bottles and sterile cloths to wash the wounds with and prevent infection.... ask what wounds are to be treated.... then use scissors if necessary to remove leathers...wash wounds.... put on kanda salve.it numbs them...use hot irons from brazier to sear wounds if necessary to stop heavy bleeding.otherwise stitch with needles and gut.... then antiseptic (healing) salve.then cotton.then silk for bandages...linament and ice for bruises and strains...herbal tea on brazier after its all done....
Poisoning
First thing is protecting the Masters. Make sure drink is dumped. And if black wine then the kettle or food container needs to be dumped. Ask if a slave is to be saved. If it’s allowed then administer the antidote. If so. It is usually kept in the med chest...the bottle of ipecac ...pour milk and honey mixed together down a girl's throat and let her wretch it all out. When done. Give antidote. Measure carefully for body weight, etc.this all must be done quickly before the 10th heartbeat or a girl will be lost.
A Practice Healing after a Raid
1. The first task a girl/boy will have is to assist the Master/Mistress to the chairs or the furs beside them.... (A boy/girl will tend their own Master or Mistress but is asked that chain sisters brothers help with others as needed...also. if conflicting orders or commands are given by Masters or Mistresses that differ from the trainer or Free handing out assignments...please post...Master/Mistress...this slave was assigned to tend so and so...Would You like this slave to attend someone else instead? Do not follow orders of outside Masters or Mistresses not belonging to the Fjord. Rarius are present...(in these medical situations only)
2. If a girl/boy don’t already know. Ask what wounds need tending remove clothing as necessary. Cover with soft fur or soft coverlet...be very careful to preserve a Mistress's modesty
3. Do not offer kanda leaf... it is a hallucinogenic... offer herbal tea or herbs mixed with paga/mead instead
4. Bathe the wound with bottled antiseptic or pour on rence cloths to pat the wound clean
5. Apply a thick layer of numbing kanda salve to the wound edges to make sure no pain is felt
6. If blades or arrows remain in the wound...use a rence cloth or the pliers from the med kit to pull it free...inspect the wound afterwards for bleeding and fragments. Use the tweezers (after dipping them in antiseptic) if needed to remove them
7. If there is any active bleeding take a cauterising iron from the coals of the brazier and lay it over the bleeding vessel to sear it shut.... if artery is what is bleeding...(this pumps bright red blood. same rate as heart rate) then it must be carefully stitched back together first.with fine curved needle and fine gut suture
8. Stitching...use small fine even stitches to draw the flesh edges together in a smooth unpuckered line tie off each single stitch to prevent one from being ripped and loosening all...if the wound is very deep use more than one layer...strong stitches are used to sew tendons back together if cut if the wound is over a body area that will bend a lot.
9. Wipe away the blood with antiseptic soaked cloth. Sprinkle with green powder if needed and then layer on antiseptic herbal salve... this is all that is done for wounds that don’t require stitches
10. Wounds that require stitching need bandaged. A thick layer of cotton ...wrap this snugly with silk bandages
11. ...Kisses really do help
12. If there is bruising or muscle strain. Massage with ointment and offer ice pack...secure to area with silk bandages...support the arm or leg with pillows and a stool if necessary. (Use a small chest)
13. Change bandages daily.... for the one or at most two days for serious injury
14. Soaking in the hot springs is recommended...healing will occur in half the time
15. Punctured lungs.... use the chest tube.in med kit...insert between the ribs on side of injured lung...must use a sharp trocar to make the hole and ask permission first.it is essentially an ice pick and can be considered a weapon.chest tube to side that was wounded.its a trocar... and bottom of med kit goes between ribs...stab gently with firm pressure with a little twist...remove hard inner trocar.leave outer tube.pad the end to catch bloody drainage.stitch in place
16. Poisoning was explained above...
17. Burns are treated with salve and dressed only if deep
To make kanda salve
Render lard from bosk and tarsk...its saved in a copper crock in the servery...till its clear...and that takes several boilings...then grind the dried kanda...there is finally enough.... very fine...and steam it...then add it to the hot oil ...makes ones hands numb and red and a bit sore...because it has to be stirred. Then kneaded till it cools.... the repeated three times...adding kanda till its the right shade of green