Medical Training for Slaves

" Be that as it may, the Priest Kings have limited man severely on this planet in many respects, notably in weaponry, communication, and transportation. On the other hand, the brilliance which men might have turned to destructive channels was then diverted, almost of necessity, to other fields, most notably medicine"Assassin of Gor, p 30

A slave should know the basic life saving steps needed to keep A Master/Mistress alive in an emergency. These steps include stopping bleeding, treating for shock, CPR and burns.

Most medical emergencies on Gor are going to be bleeding wounds. Due to the violent way in which most Goreans settle disputes, a girl can expect to find a wide variety of cuts and punctures.

Contents of a typical Gorean medical chest
# 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)
# sterile water
# bandages and dressings
# emetics to induce vomiting

Healing
Because Goreans are healthier, and because of such medical advances as the Stabilization Serums, wounds heal faster than on earth.
All wounds on Gor heal quickly and Goreans are very rarely ill
# Bones can heal as fast as 3 days
# Tendons in as fast as 2 days
# Bruises in as little as 1 day

Drugs
# Agrimony is an antibiotic salve
# Bergament salve is used for itching and rashes
# Brak bush is a shrub whose leaves have a pergatory effect when chewed
# Capture Scent will render a person unconscious when inhaled. Can also be used in a dart.
# Healing salve a gift of the Priest Kings. When applyed it will heal a cut in a few minutes.
# Honey is applied to wounds to help promote healing
# Green herbal powder is used to clean wounds when mixed with water. Can also be sprinkled into a clean wound.
# Ka la na root is steeped in water and used to cleanse wounds.
# Kur fat is used to stop infections
# Matchweed is an anti-coagulant
# Mudpacks are placed on a sprained ankle to help with swelling and pain
# Numbing salve (dried ground kanda leaves in lard)
# Sleeping Powder it is an amber powder - add water and shake, turns a dark blue
# Tassa powder when mixed with ka la na, it will render the patient unconscious, it is a reddish powder
# Tubers 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
# Wylow, 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 concentrated brak brush. Used as a laxative, causes diarrhea.
# Zingiber is used for nausea

Bruises, sprains and strains
Apply a cool mud pack to the area. In the case of a sprained wrist, ankle etc the mud pack can be held in place by bandaging.

Simple cuts and punctures
These are easily dealt with by the obvious cleaning and bandaging of the wound. If a girl reads the lists of drugs, she will see that she has many choices for salves and powders to fight infection and to kill pain. (A note on pain relief: Kanda leaf is a toxic narcotic. There are many more alternatives to this for pain relief.) Slaves of Ko ro ba will offer wylow as the first choice for numbing pain. If kanda leaf is specifically requested, it may be given.

# Wash the wound with green herbal powder mixed with water or ka lana root steeped in water in a bowl. Use a clean rep cloth to wash it.
# For deep punctures or cuts pour directly onto the wound.
# Smooth numbing salve to the wound edges.
# Bandage with rep cloth bandage.

Serious cuts and punctures
This an area in which a slave must do the main life saving steps and then get the help of a physician. If not bleeding badly, do the above steps but call for the help of a healer to treat the wound. Often you will find that there is arterial bleeding. This is when a girl must move fast.

The first step is to stop the bleeding. This is accomplished by means of direct pressure or in a worse case scenerio with a tourniquet. The tourniquet should only be used if the patient isn't able to, or if another bystander isn't around to hold direct pressure on the wound while you go for help. Do not pull out arrows or other barbed weapons. A slave may remove knives etc. by grasping them in a cloth and laying them beside the Master. Do not cauterise wounds. this invites infection.

Don'ts of bleeding wounds
Don't pull the bandage off once you have a bad cut stoped bleeding.
Don't pull out barbed weapons.
Don't cauterize a wound.

Shock
Shock can be fatal if not treated and is often overlooked by the inexperienced. Trauma, whether it's cuts, burns, poison, allergic reaction or exposure, can induce shock. A girl should have the patient lay down, keep Him calm, elevate the legs slightly, except in the case of a head wound. Loosen any restrictive clothing. Remember the main goal is to increase the blood flow to the primary organs, in particular the brain. Keep Him warm but do not allow to over heat. The patient can have as much water He wants to drink...but remember the main thing is to keep Him calm. Don't force Him to drink.

Signs of shock include:
pale clammy skin
rapid heart rate
low blood pressure
decreased alertness
confusion

Don'ts of shock
Don't over heat the patient.
Don't let the patient become aggitated, keep Him calm.

Broken bones
Types of breaks:
Incomplete: The break doesn't go through the whole bone.
Complete: The bone is broken all the way through but still in contact.
Simple fracture: The break goes all the way through the bone. The bone is separated but held together by muscle and skin.
Compound fracture: The bone has penetrated the skin.

Broken bones need to be handled by a healer. NEVER try to reset the bone yourself. The only thing a girl need do is to immobilize the limb or body area. On an extremity a simple splint will work. This kind of situation is a perfect example of where shock can set in without the girl realizing the problem. When splinting a limb be sure to use ample padding before applying the splints.

Don'ts of broken bones
Don't try to reset the break.
Don't allow the bone to move.
Don't apply a splint without applying ample padding first.

Burns
Types of burns
First degree burns The outer layer of skin is burned. It will be red and painful.
Second degree burns Deeper burns, into the second layer of tissue.
Third degree burns Can be extremely deep, doing damage to muscle and tendon.

Burns need to be kept clean and bandaged. Gently bathe the burn in clean cool water, change dressing often. Infection is a major concern of burn victims. Again burns are an area that shock is very likely. Watch the patient closely and treat for it.

Don'ts of treating burns
Don't apply salve or grease.
Don't bathe or soak in ice water. cool water is ok.
Don't peel off dead or blistered skin.

All slaves are expected to know the information on this page. If a girl wishes to learn more, she may. She can talk to Ubar or her Master and additional training will be coordinated.