Healing Guidelines
Below is an enhanced charting of healing guidelines to be used for better treatment and understanding of recovery.
(Suggested not mandatory)
Thanks to Ldy Raneet Kazim for these well written guidelines
Objective: To create a set of guidelines to enhance online Gorean Role-Play by ruling on how many hit points a Green Caste physician player can return to a wounded player through healing/ medical role-play.
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Wounded Persons
Going by the widely known and mostly accepted battle guidelines, it is assumed that based on dice rolls, the following is true:
1-14 points........No damage done to the recipient
15-19 points.......+1 point of damage done to indicated body part
20+...................+2 points of damage done to indicated body part
** These points are for damage done by one person unto another person. There are separate tables indicating damage done by animals and Kurii.
Now, going by the above tables, it should be assumed that a physician player should be able to heal these lost hit points in like manner. Therefore, I propose the following tables:
+4 points recovered........if the newly-wounded person is *immediately* treated by a Physician (ex. a physician treats a warrior on site immediately following an honor match)
+3 points recovered..........per visit (medical role-play event) to a physician for treatment
+2 points recovered..........per mun day that a previously-treated patient heals *without* physician role-play
+1 point recovered............per mun day that an untreated person heals *without* physician role-play
(ex. a wounded warrior is treated by his slave girl rather than a physician. He starts to heal +1 the mun day following the event that he was wounded.)
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Veterinary Medicine
It is assumed that the majority of medical role-play will be directed towards either wounded warriors or pregnant woman (which do not require dice rolls.) However, there may be times when the treatment of non-human players may be required. In those cases, with physicians who make it a point to have training in veterinary medicine, the following may be used as a guideline:
+4 points recovered........for small to medium animals treated immediately by the physician (ex. urts, herlit, tabuk, all baby animals except tarns)
+5 points recovered........for large to massive animals treated immediately by the physician
(ex. kailla, bosk, tharlarion)
** I propose the healing of tarns to be a specialty designated to tarn keepers, or to those physicians who specifically own and keep a tarn cots with full tarn keeper staff.
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Illness
Since Norman indicates many times throughout the books that the more common illnesses including age have been cured by the Caste of Physicians, to make specific guidelines for illness and disease seems counterproductive. However, the one disease in particular that the Physicians have not healed is Dar Kosis. Per quotes from Assassins, Flamenius has found a cure for the disease, but he indicates sabotage by the Caste of Initiates. In keeping with this ideal, it should be assumed that any Physician character who sets out to solve the puzzle of Dar Kosis would also be sabotaged by Initiates, and their work destroyed.
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'Physician's Oath'
There are many who wish to mix the common day medical oath to offer medical assistance to any and all who ask, and to harm none with our Gorean role-play. However, based on the quotes of Flamenius from Assassins of Gor, he indicates he has infected a high-ranking official with Dar Kosis for reasons of revenge. This said, it should be understood that while it is in the best interests of the role-play for physicians to be geared towards healing our wounded players, to use medical knowledge for harm is documented. Use this information with caution.....documented or not, it's still treason if you are caught.
Updated Fracture Rib Care
Thanks to Gabrielle MacEoin for her research and well written summary
Throughout the ages since those of the Physician's Caste can remember, Fractured ribs have always been treated with the simplicity of a wrap. Whether tight or loose it was thought that by wrapping it would benefit the patient in the healing process, However what we often overlook are the body's need or an individual's reactions after the fractures that can cause further problems.
When one has a fracture of a rib even a simple slight fracture, there can be dangers that are not often seen, fragments of bone shards that can float around, or the puncture of a lung. We as Physician's are trained to check for these, to assure our patient's well being, but we also need to consider the underlying repercussions of a rib wrap. While thinking it beneficial to the healing process nothing could be further from the truth.
Wrapping of the ribs even if done loosely for support causes a slight constriction around the upper body. Wrapping itself does nothing more then ease the pain a bit but serves no actual purpose in the healing process. The patient may feel secure in the wrapping and may seek some comfort, but we have to consider the outcome of our actions such as the possibility of pneumonia. Because of the pain, the patient may not feel the need to breathe as deep. On average the human takes a deep breath every 7-8 seconds whether we realize it or not. When an injury to the ribs occurs, even minor bruising, the pain forces a person not to inhale as deep. Wrapped ribs add to the constriction. With out the lack of deep breaths pneumonia can set in. While not often considered, it is a possibility and a risk. Proper treatment of ribs is quite simple as ribs tend to heal themselves over time.
Determine the severity of the injury... Broken or bruised ribs will both cause pain with breathing or a twisting/turning of the torso. Use that pain to better help the diagnosis.... are they bruised? are they fractured or are they broken? While treated the same, broken ribs afford the ability to cause splintered bone to roam around and puncture arteries, veins, and vital organs.... Severe complications can occur with broken ribs thus more caution should be taken... Be keen in your observations.
Apply ice or cold compresses to the area, the patient should do this for 20 ihn every couple of ahn to reduce swelling. After two to three days they can begin alternating heat to the area to further reduce discomfort and swelling. During the healing process assure they remain inactive resting as much as possible, remind them to listen to their body's level of pain. If they feel they can walk after a few days then have them walk. For men remind them NO sparring. Laying on the injured side IF no neck injury is found is actually beneficial, it forces the deep breaths naturally without reminder.
Prescribe proper pain management, a good dose of herbs in a tea to dull the pain will help so they can take the needed deep breaths to keep their lungs expanded. I do not recommend heavy narcotics, the risk of addiction can cause complications in the patient's future. Ribs need time to heal, again remind the patient that rest is important. Remind them to breathe normal and take a deep breath despite the pain every 7-8 seconds or at least 4 deep breaths in an ahn. They may not like the idea, the pain may hurt but it will ward off chances of fluid in the lungs thus avoiding pneumonia or a partial collapse of lung tissue.
Finally ensure they commit to a proper diet. The ribs need certain vitamins including doses of calcium for recovery. Bruised ribs usually take 14 days to heal while broken or fractured ribs can take up to two moons. Remind the patient IF the pain becomes unmanageable they can come see you. An open door policy for questions or concerns give patients comfort and knowledge that treatment does not stop after we see them, but only after the healing process is complete.