Physicians Caste |
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The Physician's Caste is one of the five High Castes on Gor, the fourth
highest of those castes. Their Caste color is green so most Physicians
wear green tunics. Though it is not explicit in the books, it seems
logical that many medical specializations would form subcastes of the
Physician's Caste. Obstetrics, immunology, pediatrics, and such would
make valid subcastes. Certain other specializations would not be necessary
on Gor so would be unlikely to form subcastes. Dentistry, psychiatry
and geriatrics are fields where the need on Gor is low so they are unlikely
to form full subcastes. Major cities would have a Cylinder of Physicians
as they do in Ar. Though this is not described in any great detail,
it appears it would contain a hospital, research laboratories, a library
and maybe even living quarters for some Physicians. Each city would
also have their own High Council of Physicians to aid in the governance
of that caste within the city. Each Physician's Caste, in every different
city, is basically autonomous. But, Physicians from different cities do find ways to interact with each other. The Sardar Fairs, the four major fairs held each year on the plains below the Sardar Mountains, are a spectular place for the Physicians, and other Castes, to meet and share information. Caste conventions may be able to discuss general caste-wide issues. Research can be shared and compared. New discoveries spread across Gor at these fairs. These fairs are very important to the Physician's Caste. |
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The Physician's Caste is one of the Castes where many women actually
engage in Caste work. But, in many cities, women cannot engage in the
full practice of medicine until they have first bore two children. This
is not a law in all cities though. Commonly, at age fifteen, a woman
will don two bracelets on her left wrist. One bracelet is removed for
each child born. The reason behind this prerequisite is that it is understood
that professional women tend not to reproduce themselves. If this were
permitted, it would serve over time to diminish the quality and size
of the Caste. Thus, the rule helps to preserve the future of the Caste.
The welfare of the Caste takes priority over the ambitions of specific
individuals. The welfare of a larger number of individuals is more important
than the welfare of a smaller number of individuals. This is an accepted
given when dealing with the vast majority of Goreans. Until the woman
bears two children, she will be restricted in her medical duties though
the books do not detail what those specific restrictions might be. It
is possible that the distinction might be what we would consider the
difference between being a nurse and being a doctor. |
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Unfortunately, Gorean medicine is not depicted in great detail in the
novels. In some ways, it is more primitive than Earth medicine. Goreans
do not possess computers to help them in diagnosis or research. They
do possess though many diagnostic machines that do not use computers.
But, in many other ways, Gorean medicine is far more advanced than Earth.
Gor has created potent drugs and serums that Earth only dreams about.
And they created them without the aid of computers. Deciding what is
permissible and not in Gorean medicine is not always easy due to the
dearth of material in the novels on the subject. |
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Disease prevention is an area where Gorean medicine far surpasses Earth
medicine. Disease is almost unknown on Gor except for a very few horrible
diseases such as Dar-kosis and the Bazi plague. It is probably only
a matter of time before even these diseases are cured. |
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Dar-kosis is a virulent, wasting disease and is similar in many ways
to leprosy. "Dar-kosis" means "Holy Disease" and
it is also known as the "Sacred Affliction" though its name
is rarely mentioned. Those inflicted with the disease are commonly known
as Afflicted Ones. It is highly contagious and the afflicted must wear
yellow robes as a mark of their illness. Many victims also periodically
clack a wooden device to warn people to stay away. Because of this,
victims have much freedom of movement though if they approach a city,
they risk being stoned.
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The Initiate Caste feels that Dar-kosis is an instrument of the Priest-Kings
to punish those who displease them. The afflicted are thus holy to the
Priest Kings and it is heresy to shed their blood. Interestingly though,
stoning them is not considered heresy. Initiates have constructed Dar-Kosis
pits where the Afflicted may voluntarily imprison themselves. They will
be provided with food and drink by men on tarns, who will drop it into
the pits. Once in a Pit, an Afflicted is not permitted to leave. Because
it is considered a holy disease, the Initiates will not permit the Physician's
Caste to research a cure. There is little love lost between the Physicians
and Initiates. |
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A few years before the events of Assassin of Gor, a group of Physicians
in Ar tried to seek a cure. Flaminius, first in his Caste, led the research
program. The Physicians had developed a strain of urts resistant to
Dar-kosis. They then created a serum, cultured from the urt blood. When
this was injected into other animals, they could not be infected by
the disease. But at that time, someone betrayed them to the Initiates.
The Initiates asked them to stop the research but they refused. The
Initiates petitioned Marlenus but he refused to do anything. Soon after,
a group of armed men stormed the Cylinder of Physicians. They damaged
the Cylinder, burnt the research floors, killed some of the Physicians
and ruined most of the research. That would stop their research for
several years. Flaminius was burned over half his body and became somewhat
of a drunk. After the events of Assassin of Gor, Flaminius chooses to
return to his research for a Dar-Kosis cure. |
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Bazi plague, also known as the pox, is a deadly, rapidly-spreading disease
with no known cure. Its symptoms include pustules all over the body
and a yellowing of the whites of the eyes. The pox is transmitted by
lice. Some people are immune to it and for some it is only a temporary
problem. Others die swiftly. Slaves that get the pox are usually killed.
Bazi was struck by a plague some years ago and its port was closed by
the Merchant's Caste for two years. The plague burnt itself out in about
eighteen months. By the events of Explorers of Gor, Bazi has still not
recovered from the economic tragedy of this closure. In Schendi, they
still had Physicians checking incoming ships for signs of disease. Gieron
and sajel are drugs that in combination can reproduce the physical effects
of this disease without causing any real injury. Gieron is an allergen
that causes a yellowing of the whites of the eyes. Sajel is a simple
pustulant. |
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Dental work on Gor is rarely done or needed. Due to its rarity, dentistry
is probably not a subcaste. There would be insufficient work to support
such a specialist. Cavities are rare because of the simple diet of Goreans
and their absence of emotional stress, guilt, and worry. The mouths
of slave girls are often checked by a buyer or slaver to see if she
has fillings or not. That is normally a sign that the girl is from Earth
due to the rarity of dental work on Gor. |
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Physicians have machines to examine blood, urine, tissue, hair and other
samples. They have a machine like a microscope. Many of their tests
and instruments are similar to what you would find in an Earth doctor's
office. They would use energy bulbs, despite the expense, to have adequate
light for their work. Physicians have numerous drugs available that
are often administered through hypodermics. Numerous drugs may also
be orally taken. Though some online feel that Gorean physicians are
more like herbalists, they actually use very advanced drugs. Many of
those drugs are derived from plants and herbs but it is rare for those
plants and herbs to be applied directly to a patient. And as Earth doctors
use Latin often, Gorean doctors keep their records in archaic Gorean. |
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You must remember that we are talking about the Physician's Caste that
exists in the civilized cities. In some of the more barbaric areas of
Gor, such as the Barrens, the Plains of Turia and the jungles near Schendi,
the Caste does not exist. In those areas, their medicine is much more
primitive. They do not possess medical machines or advanced drugs. They
rely more heavily on natural cures, using herbs and plants. Their healers
would be more like herbalists. |
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The Physician's Caste has designed a few drugs that are commonly used
by Slavers and others with similar objectives. Capture scent is similar
to chloroform. It is a liquid that is soaked into a rag and held over
a person's nose and mouth. It will render a woman unconscious in about
five Ihn. She will only squirm wildly for an Ihn or two and then will
get sluggish until she falls limp. It might take a bit longer against
a man. Anesthetic darts, which may be either flung or used to stab,
may also sometimes be used though they take longer to work, about forty
Ihn. Tassa powder is a reddish powder that can render one unconscious.
It is tasteless but meant to be mixed with something red wine as it
would be visible in water. Free women are often advised not to drink
red wine with strangers because who knows what might be in it. |
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Slave wine is a Gorean contraceptive, and much more effective than any
Earth one. In liquid form, women drink it and are protected against
conception. It works basically immediately. It is intentionally bitter
when given to slaves though for free women it might be sweetened. The
active ingredient in slave wine is sip root. In its raw form, sip root
can be chewed and used as a contraceptive. The raw root is bitter and
this is what comes through in the liquid. In root form, its effects
will last for three to four moons. The Red Savages in the Barrens use
sip root in its raw form. It is likely other barbaric cultures do the
same. In its concentrated liquid form, the effects of slave wine now
last indefinitely. This was not always the case. In the beginning of
the Gor series, slave wine only lasted a month or so. But by Blood Brothers
of Gor, medical technology has advanced and its effects are now indefinite.
Despite this fact, many masters still administer slave wine to their
kajirae once or twice a year. This is done out of tradition and to remind
girls of their slavery. The effects of slave wine can be nullified by
a special releaser, an antidote called breeding or second wine. This
is a smooth and sweet drink. Its active ingredient is a derivative of
the teslik plant. |
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There is no evidence in the books to suggest that slave wine can cause
an abortion or miscarriage. There is also no evidence to show that it
is harmful to a pregnant woman. Children are very important to Goreans
and abortion would go against much of what they believe. Free women
may sell their children after birth, but they would not abort a child
if they were pregnant. |
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The zenith of Gorean medicine has to be the Stabilization Serums. This
Serum is a life extending treatment. It was developed some five hundred
years ago by the Physician's Castes of Koroba and Ar and transmitted
to other Physicians at the Sardar Fairs. Aging was seen as a disease,
not an inevitable fate. Centuries of research went into seeking a cure
for aging. Unfortunately, this also meant that research into cures for
other diseases was ignored. Many people, who were suspectible to those
diseases, died during that time. As it was only the resistant that survived,
this did tend to strengthen stock. Some diseases died out and others
would be later cured once the Stabilization Serums were created. |
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The effect of the Serums is an eventual, gradual transformation of certain
genetic structures, resulting in indefinite cell replacement without
pattern deterioration. It affects all people differently and on some
rare occasions doesn't work. In some rare people, it wears off after
only a few hundred years and sometimes it even hastens aging. It is
also capable of being transmitted to offspring. The initial Serums were
crude but they have been carefully refined over the years. The Priest-Kings
possess better Serums but they are for their use only. Goreans consider
it the right of all people, free and slave, barbarian or civilized,
to have the Serums. They do not deny the Serums to anyone. The Serums
are given in a series of four shots, one shot a day for four days in
a row. They are injected into the small of the back, over the left hip.
On the fifth day, they can take a sample from you to ensure that the
Serums have taken hold. Matthew Cabot is the only known person in the
books to benefit from the Serums. He came to Gor over 600 years ago.
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The books briefly mention a number of other drugs and medicines used
on Gor. Laxatives and emetics exist. For a more natural purgative, the
leaves of the brak bush can be chewed. A Physician mixed several different
powders, each in their own goblet of water, and gave them to a new slave
from Earth. The reasons for this were not explained though it is possible
he was trying to inoculate her from disease. He also gave her the Serums
at this time as well. There is another drug, in liquid form, that is
a type of hypnotic. It relaxes you, inducing an altered state of consciousness.
You can then recall details hidden in your memory and are also responsive
to suggestions. A Tuchuk once placed a dark, bluish powder in some amber
fluid. He made a slave drink it and she went to sleep. Slave dip is
a drug used much like a flea powder. Many ports require that all slaves
coming off a ship must first be immersed in slave dip to destroy any
parasites they might be carrying. There are even drugs used on animals
such as tranquilizers or slow drugs.
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The slave goad was an invention developed jointly by the Physician and
Builder Castes. The Physician's Caste contributed their knowledge of
the pain fibers of humans, the networks of nerve endings. The Builder's
Caste contributed the principles and techniques that were first developed
for energy bulbs. The slave goad is similar to the tarn goad but is
has been modified to use on humans. It has a switch and a dial. The
dial adjusts the intensity from unpleasant to instantly lethal. When
it strikes a person, it emits a shower of yellow sparks. When the dial
is at the lethal setting, the tip glows very hot and is even difficult
to look at. Because it is very expensive, it is almost never used except
by professional Slavers and is unknown in many cities.
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A common function for Physicians is to tend to wounded Warriors. Physicians
clean, chemically sterilize and dress wounds. For tending to a minor
wound, a Physician received a tarsk bit for his services. This is the
only time any fee or payment is mentioned for a Physician. Physician's
tape is mentioned though not described. Stitches and sutures are likely
to be common though they are not mentioned in the books. Though casts
are never mentioned in the books, it seems that they would also exist.
Casts are easy to make. Surgery is performed by Physicians though advanced
computer monitoring is not available to them. For most purposes, Physicians
on Gor would treat wounds like any doctor from Earth.
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There is little cold storage on Gor. Ice is commonly a luxury, especially
in the summer. Ice blocks would be cut from ponds in the winter and
then stored in icehouses under sawdust. Physicians might require cold
storage for certain medical supplies. It seems likely that a place like
the Cylinder of Physicians would have a cold storage area. The storage
of certain medical supplies would be important enough to pay the expense
to do so. A small Physician's office on the other hand might not have
the financial resources to have his own cold storage area.
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Plastic exists on Gor. Though it is rarely mentioned in the books, it
is available. Many Goreans would not use plastic as it is not quite
a natural material. They generally prefer wood, stone and metal. Physicians
may be more apt to use plastic though in their practice.
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Physicians rarely encounter other problems that are common to Earth.
Heart attacks and cholesterol problems would be very rare. Frequent
exercise and low fat diets would help prevent this. Without the massive
technology and pollutants of Earth, most forms of cancer would also
be rare. Psychiatrists and psychologists may not exist on Gor as most
people seem quite content with their lot in life. Physician's are sometimes
asked certain pyschological questions though it would not be the norm.
For example, free women sometimes ask what they can do about being frigid.
The standard advice given is often to learn slave dance. Goreans freely
accept the Caste system and the institution of slavery. Most Goreans
are happy and very well adjusted. Overall, Goreans lead healthier lives
than Earth people.
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Some slaves may possess medical skills. In general, these women will
have once been of the Physician's Caste and were later enslaved. It
would be unusual for a slave to learn medical skills after her enslavement.
If she did learn any such skills, they would most likely be very basic
matters. Goreans would not waste advanced medical training on a mere
slave. If a former Physician had been enslaved, there is the question
of whether she would be permitted to practice medicine or not. Remember
that once enslaved they no longer have a Caste. They no longer belong
to the Physician's Caste even though they have the requisite skills.
Many Goreans would not want a slave tending to them. Some might even
fear the slave, especially if surgery was needed. A slave's owner is
the one most likely to allow that slave to practice her medical skills.
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Here are a couple brief items concerning other medical issues: Children on Gor appear to be breast fed and not bottle fed. There
was a passage of a veiled and robed woman in Tor who had her baby inside
her cloak and was nursing it. |
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Menstruation was mentioned within the books. There was a passage describing
a custom concerning Red Savage women. They commonly wore their hair
knotted in a bun on the top of their head. But, during their menstrual
period, they would wear their hair loose.
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Role-play opportunities for Physicians abound if you use some creativity.
It seems many online Physicians simply are on call, rushing to one medical
emergency or another. They become part of someone else's story-line
and not their own. As it is someone else's story-line, that person generally
calls the shots in what will happen. The Physician simply abides by
the desires of that person. Though that is a necessary part of role-play,
being the center of your own story-line is also very exciting. What
other opportunities exist for a Physician?
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Research can be an exciting area. Seeking a cure for Dar-Kosis or Bazi
plague can be a challenging story-line. Each would present its own unique
obstacles. With Dar-Kosis, you would have to deal with angry Initiates
who would try to stop your research if they became aware of it. Doing
research to refine or better existing medicines is also a possibility.
Look how slave wine was improved over the series. Forensics is another
area open to potential. Doing autopsies and forensic investigations
to solve crimes can lead to many role-play opportunities. Was that man
poisoned or did he simply die of an aneurysm?
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