[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Notice: These are simply discussions, and not intended to be absolute canon. This is the product of many weyrs and people working together, and I didn't get ALL the information. These pages are subject to change as I compile the notes of all the BoD. Let me know if you have any questions about anything. These are not necessarily canon, and Cibryen doesn't necessarily adhere to all of these. This is simply here for those who couldn't come to Dragon*Con.
All that Glitters :: Crafters :: Dragonhealing - Their blood is green :: Dragon Sex :: Healer Hall :: Renewable Airforce :: Weyrling Training
We all know about Healers. You see them running here and there, caring for this person, helping that one. But just what do they DO? How do they know what's wrong? Its obviously not easy, or all fun and games. And they don't have the advanced medical techniques and equipment that you'll find in modern day Earth.
Microscopes do exist on Pern, but they are expensive, hard to make, and not nearly as accurate as some Earth microscopes. Sorry, no electron microscopes. They aren't found in smaller Holds, or minor ones, but most major Holds would be able to afford one. Healer Hall itself would of course have them, but everyday Apprentices and Journeymen probably won't be able to have easy access to them. They aren't going to be in every room.
Two of the most valuable tools available to Pernese Healers are good old fashioned observations and palpation. Palpation is essentially poking around for things that don't feel normal. Its amazing what you can tell from just looking at someone. Assessing color, checking for fever, and feeling around for sensitive and painful places can tell an experienced Healer a great deal. If someone's green, they aren't feeling well. Get the idea? Healers can look into eyes, test skin elasticity, reflexes, all the basic tests that have been done in the medical profession for centuries here on Earth.
When someone breaks a bone on Pern, its not the same as it is on Earth. Bones aren't always able to heal well, and nothing more advanced than a simple plaster cast or splint exists for mending broken bones. To assess the type of break, the healer is going to have to poke around and feel for bones that are out of place. Breaks heal improperly, and joint breaks are almost invariably crippling, unless the injured person is very, very lucky.
The Glascow Coma Scale is a useful tool for healers to assess a patient's level of consciousness. A patient is asked to do different things, and the Healer can use this to determine the level off consciousness, and to a degree, the severity of a head injury or neurological disorder.
A type of stethoscope does exist. It is usually a plain tube used to listen to internal sounds.
Another good indicator of someone's general health is a urine sample. These tests aren't very accurate, but can generally indicate a problem. The color of urine is of interest; some with dark orange urine is usually dehydrated an in need of fluids, red indicates blood (not a good thing) and extraneous particles (sediment, cloudy urine) can be indicitave of infection.
Pernese don't have electric washing machines, synthetic toothbrushes, fancy toothpaste, and Sure deodorant...so what do they do? Do they do anything? Is the Pern population a generally smelly bunch?
Actually, no. Healers have forgotten the source of their knowledge, but cleanliness is important, and while they can't exactly reach the level of our perfumed, coifed, and carefully washed society, they are certainly not dirty barbarians.
Teeth are important to survive. Without them, it is hard to eat, and obviously, you need to eat to live. Pernese may use greenstick toothbrushes, which are essentially plants that have been split and frayed at one end. Perhaps runnerhair brushes have been made. Sorry, no fancy clear plastic in an array of colors. Toothpaste is more interesting. Among the things that have been used in less advanced Earth societies are wine, clay, and even salt. White clay (kaolin) paste does a good job of scouring teeth. Alchohol itself is excellent at finishing up the job. A little raw cane alcohol freshened with a bit of mint makes a great mouthwash to wash the dirt out of your teeth and give you that minty-fresh feeling.
Deodorant is a trickier matter. As an agrarian society that works hard and doesn't have air conditioning, Pernese sweat. Sweat stinks. If you live in a cave, this is bad. There is hope. There are several methods that would work. Dried herb, powdered, would absorb the moisture and mask the smell. Maybe the more well to do could use flowers. Even crystals can be rubbed across sweaty areas to help absorb moisture. There are also a number of herbs that reduce perspiration when ingested, which will help to reduce the problem.
Bathing is the one thing we have some concrete facts about. One very famous scene is Lessa's Benden bath when she is Searched in DF. Menolly is also shown bathing with her flit in DS.
There are such things as hot baths. Being a very geologically active planet, Pern has thermal pockets of water that rise to the surface when breached. The ingenuity of the Ancients and the smithcrafthall have brought this volcanically heated water to the bathing pools. Most bathing pools in the weyr are communal, with the exception of the Weyrleaders. Private baths are rare, but not unheard of.
Ivory soap doesn't exist. Pernese use cleansing sand to clean their clothes and scour out the dirt. Lessa is shown washing her clothes when she bathed. Sweet sand is a foaming cleanser that's a little to foamy for cleaning clothes, but works perfectly for bathing bodies. Sweet soap is also made. Animal fat-based soap may exist as well. Clothes are generally washed while bathing, but in large holds and some weyrs, large laundry rooms separate from the bathing area may be set up. With thermally heated water rising from the earth, there is always fresh, clean water, and the old dirty water is swept away.
Early colonists had no need to shave--they took inhibitors before they embarked on their journey. After the inhibitors wore off, razors were probably made of wood and bone, with metal heads, although they are not nearly as sharp as the razors you can buy on Earth. Shaving requires talent, and I imagine that a lot of Pernese men have nicks and cuts. Leg hair is probably just ignored, especially in the nothern climes. Its just too much trouble, and Pernese ladies don't generally show their legs much anyway.
Okay, you're clean, you smell nice, now you have to visit the privy. Hmm. No Charmin, no Sears catalog.
Here's just a few of the methods that are possibly used on Pern: soaked corn cobs, moss, shells to scrape with. In one primitive earth society, linen and wool sheets cut approximately the size of modern toilet paper. This may be the most commonly used method on Pern. Probably scraps of old clothes, ruined linens. These would probably be dropped into a basket to be washed and reused for cleaning or...more toilet paper.
Close your eyes, guys, women stuff ahead. ;o) Dragonrider women have it easier than the general population. Going between interrupts human menstrual cycles, and so dragonriders don't have to worry about it as much. It helps make it hard for them to get pregnant, and relieves them of their monthly curse.
Holder women, however, have no dragons to make their lives simpler. The most common method of containment is probably just plain old rags tied to their undergarments. Another contraption would be to use two cloths, with a wad of wool in the center, tied with string.