Gor has Physicians (one of the High Castes of the Cities) and/or Healers (one of the Clans of the Wagon Camps) with skills and equipment to deal with the most serious of injuries. Gorean medicine is in many respects very advanced; an example of this would be the stabilization serums to ward off old age. However, many camps and cities of Gor seem to deal with medicine and healing in a very primitive manner. In Paravaci, slaves will rarely be needed to deal with casualties except in times of war, raids or during sparring contests.

Below are some guidelines to help a slave deal with emergencies. If a slave wants to learn more about healing, the slave can ask to assist the Healer. In extreme cases, a slave is NOT to practice healing -- a Healer must be called upon and the slave can do what is needed until the Healer arrives such gathering one of the medical kits from the med wagon or from the dais as well as a bota of paga which is unfit for drinking, but fine for healing.

All wounds on Gor heal quickly and Goreans are very rarely ill. Please note the following:

bones can heal as fast as 3 days
tendons in as fast as 2 days
bruises in as little as 1 day
all stitches should be checked and cleaned daily and removed after three days.

Contents of the Medical Kits

scissors, scalpels, tweezers, cauterising irons, pliers
needles for suturing
reels of silk thread and gut
soft cloths for cleaning and covering wounds
rep cloth bandages
a box of kanda leaves (these are chewed to numb the body)
a pot of numbing salve (dried ground kanda leaves in lard)
a pot of healing salve
a pot of antiseptic green herbal powder
sleeping aid (valerian powder)

STEPS TO A MEDICAL SERVE:

(1) Assist the Injured to a chair or furs.

(2) If not sure of the wounds inflicted -- ask! and then take careful note of the most serious wounds to be able to treat those first. If a spar or raid is happening, watch and take careful notes of injuries for the Healer that will be attending.

(3) Offer a kanda leaf, ask the Master/Mistress to chew the leaf and to swallow the juices, but NOT to swallow the kanda leaf itself, for it is likely to cause nausea, the roots of kanda however are deadly. If the Master/Mistress is looking as if He/She is going to pass out, do not give Him/Her kanda leaf, for this may cause Him/Her to swallow it accidentally. Ask the Master/Mistress to spit out the kanda leaf after chewing it a bit as soon as He/She starts to feel the effects of the leaf for He/She does not need to have it in His/Her mouth once they occur.

(4) Remove or cut away any leathers or clothing around the wounds.

(5)(FREE) Add green herbal powder to a bowl, then add the paga and mix it, dip a rep cloth in the mixture to clean the wound/wounds. If there is a large amount of Injured to heal, add the green powder to the bota, shake it, then pour from it; then it is easier for it to travel from Free to Free and you need not take the valuable time needed to mix it at each healing. (slaves) Simply use warmed water to wipe up any dried blood and clean the wound gently until the Healer can tend to the wound.

(6) If a wound is deep enough to warrant stitches, smooth numbing salve to the wound edges before starting.(slaves do not tend deep wounds)

(7) (FREE) Ask to pull free any knives, quivas or arrows that may be remaining in the wound, carefully checking to see that nothing has become embedded near any major blood vessels.( slaves ) May apply pressure to sides of wound, do not attempt to remove the imbedded oblect, wait for a Healer.

(a) Use a soft cloth to apply pressure if any bleeding continues.

(b) Use the scalpels and tweezers to ensure there are no smaller objects left in any wounds.

OF IMPORTANT NOTE: Do NOT pull an arrow out of a wound. Check to see where it is; if it is through a major artery, cauterizing will be needed. Break the end of the arrow that sticking out of a leg or arm off and then shove the rest of the arrow through. If the arrow is inside the chest or another part of the body which makes it unable to push it through, then you will need to cut the area larger to remove the arrow. Most arrows have barbs and such which will cause more damage when being pulled back out of a body.

OF IMPORTANT NOTE: Only in severe cases should cauterizing be done and it is only done to stop uncontrollable bleeding and stitching is not an option. Always prepare the Free before doing so. Try not to cauterize around the muscles of the arms, for this will cause scar tissue to form and may make it impossible for the Free to remain a Rarius. Search for anything that may be hidden in the wound that may keep the wound open and bleeding; if metal, clothing or bone is found, remove it, then the bleeding should ease.

(8) Suture the wound --> mattress stitches for deep wounds, herring bone stitches with finer gut for surface wounds.

(9) Check the wound once more for any more bleeding and if none is found, sprinkle on the green antiseptic powder, smooth on healing salve, and then cover the wound with a soft cloth, bandaging it in place.

Surface (superficial) wounds --> clean with (FREE)paga/herb mixture (slave) warmed water and apply the healing ointment. The wound could be left uncovered or a bandage could be applied.

Bruises --> apply cold cloths to the affected area during the summer and ice in the winter.

Broken bones -->(Free)Need to be set, splinted and tightly bandaged

Tendons --> (Free)Must be sutured with mattress stitching. The mattress stitch is a strong enough stitch to hold, for the tendon is what holds muscle to the bone.

Free and slave... ** When performing a medical serve, be very descriptive. List each and every little thing that a slave is doing. During the healing stage, make sure to check on the Free Person daily; change any dressings, make sure there is no infection setting in; if you find infection, let the Healer know immediately as this is not something to let go unnoticed. **

** Please remember to work together on all healing techniques. Do NOT openly correct another. Do so privately AFTER the emergency. A slave will be allowed some practice time before an emergency. **

HERBS USED FOR HEALING

Agrimony: is an antibiotic salve

Bergamont salve: is used for itching and rashes

Black pepper: is used to stop bleeding, but hurts alot

Brak bush: is a shrub whose leaves have a pergatory effect (induces vomiting) when chewed

Breeding wine/second wine: is given to slave girls to make them fertile again, it counteracts slavewine; the active ingredient in breeding wine is Teslik

Capture Scent: renders a person unconscious when inhaled also can be used in a dart; aka chloroform

Chamomile: is a flower that is dried and then brewed into a tea for stomach upset and pain

Dried sunflower seeds: are used in a crushed form and smoked in a pipe to help clear the head and with colds

Frobicain: is a sedative injection that is used during Voyages of Acquisition to render a captured barbarian unconscious ~*Assassin of Gor, p 126*~

Hemp: is used like Earthen Dopamine to increase blood pressure

Honey: can be applied to wounds to help and promote healing

Kur fat: is used to stop infections

Matchweed is an anti-coagulant

Mudpacks: are placed about a sprained ankle to help with swelling and pain

Peppermint: is used to fight off infection and help with nausea

Slavewine: is a beverage that is bitter and black, given to slaves for birth control; the effects last over a month and are instantaneous; siproot is the active ingredient of slavewine

Sleeping Powder: is amber in colour and when added to water and shaken it turns a dark blue; as the name states, it is used to induce sleep

Tassa powder: is a reddish powder that when mixed with ka la na, it will render the patient unconscious; ~*Fighting Slave of Gor, p 222-223*~

Tubers: are grown in the falls, they are used to make packs to stop external bleeding by drying them, then crushing them, mixing them with water to form the pack

White Sage: is used to help fight off infections

Willow: parts of this tree are used for pain relief; the bark is chewed while the leaves and buds are brewed as a tea

Yellow powder: is a concentrated brak brush and is used as a laxative, causing diarrhea.

Zingiber: is used for nausea