Dragonhealing - Technical Information
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While the primary goal of Igen's programme is to teach good roleplaying around dragonhealing, there is only so far roleplay can take a player. There will often be a point when a player will desire to learn more about the Anne Science of Pern and how it relates to dragons. As opposed to having an FAQ, this portion of the document is intended to provide a degree of technical and practical healing information.
Note: The term 'ichoring' is the dragon equivalent to the human term 'bleeding.' As dragons have ichor and not blood, they 'ichor' instead of bleed.
This document discusses the following:
WOUNDS: TYPES, TREATMENTS, RECOVERY AND COMPLICATIONS
Abrasions
Description: Superficial wounds in which the top layers of the hide are scraped off, leaving a raw tender area, are caused predominantly by a sliding fall or a friction burn and often contain foreign particles that can cause infections.
Treatment: In all cases, clean out the abrasion with water and redwort, apply numbweed if it hurts, and allow the wound to air dry.
Recovery: If the abrasion is minor, the dragon can fly per usual, but the rider must keep special note to the abrasion, as it may dry out or get infected. In the case of major abrasions, the dragon should not fly between until the skin has closed up. This normally takes a day or two.
Broken Bones
Description: Generally, a broken bone will be obvious, with the limb bent at an impossible angle or the bone having torn through the skin. With the exception of the wing bones, a fracture in a dragon is extremely rare, with a dragonhealer maybe seeing one, at most two, in their lifetime. If a cracking noise was not heard, then differentiate between a fracture and a sprain by looking for limitations in mobility, or the inability to grip effectively if it is a foot. If a cracking noise was heard, ask the dragon if they feel tenderness over the affected area. If the injury is a dislocation the pain will be 'sickening', as opposed to 'painful'. There are three types of fractures: simple -- a clean break or crack in the bone; comminuted -- a fracture with multiple fragments; greenstick -- a split in immature bone. There are two states of fractures: open -- where the bone is sticking out; and closed -- where it is not.
Treatment: Caution should be paramount since even clean breaks or cracks may appear distant to the point of impact, so examine the dragon carefully if they complain of certain types of pain. If the hide has not been broken, the limb should be straightened and returned to its normal configuration with the aid of other dragons, splinted securely, elevating where possible. An attempt should be made to prevent motion of the bone as much as possible.
Recovery: Recovery time will vary, depending on the age of the dragon and the severity of the break. Figure on two months for a minor break (wingbones) and six months for a major break (leg bone). Some dragons will be permanently disabled after fractures, and might not be able to launch from the ground, fly in a straight line or fly an entire Threadfall. Once the bone has begun to knit (approximately half the recovery time), then gentle exercise may begin to bring muscle strength back. It is recommended exercises start in the water.
Burns
Description: Burns are classified by one of three causes: dry, chemical and Thread. Dry burns are caused by flames, hot objects, friction, etc. Chemical burns are caused by corrosive substances like agenothree. Thread burns are caused by Thread. There are also three types of burns: superficial, partial-thickness and full-thickness. Superficial burns involve only the outer layer of the hide, and are characterised by greenness (remember, ichor is green; in humans this is red), swelling and tenderness. Partial-thickness burns involve a partial-thickness of the hide, and are characterised by its raw appearance and blisters. In a full-thickness burn, all layers of the hide are compromised, extending damage through the hide to nerves, muscle and fat, causing hide to appear pale, waxy and sometimes charred.
Treatment: Treatment varies, based on the cause, depth and extent of the burn. The extent of the burn will tell whether shock is likely to develop, as tissue fluid leaks from the burned area and is replenished by fluids from the circulatory system. The greater the area covered by the burn, the more severe the shock will be. Burns also carry a serious risk of infection, and the larger and deeper the burn, the greater this risk will be. The damage to the hide breaks down the body's natural barrier to infection, leaving it exposed to germs.
Recovery: Depending on the severity of the burn, the injury may take two to three days up to several months to heal. Generally, the deeper the burn the longer the heal time. Keep the injury moist with a mixture of aloe and numbweed, paying particular attention to the possibility of dehydration. The length of time to recover depends on the severity of the burn. A superficial burn should be healed within a sevenday, if not sooner. A partial-thickness burn can take a sevenday to a month, depending on how large the burned area covers. For a full-thickness burn, the dragon will be out of commission for months, if not a Turn. The rule of thumb with burns is to limit motion and use of the affected area until the hide no longer hurts to move. Once the hide no longer appears raw and is no longer open, the dragon can go between; however, the rider must take great care to keep the injured area well oiled, as it has a greater tendency to crack when traveling between.
Cardiovascular problems
Description: Cardiovascular problems can occur in older dragons, or in those dragons whose hearts are under terrific strain from other injuries or circumstances. As a dragon ages, the hearts often weaken and may develop problems, such as an erratic beat, or incorrect ichor pressure which may cause loss of feeling, or a tingling sensation, in extremities. Exertion, such as in a mating flight, may also cause a sudden onset of cardiovascular problems, such as a heart attack, which can result in death.
Treatment: As one cannot perform CPR on a dragon, there is no real treatment other than hope and rest. The survival rate for a dragon heart attack is slim.
Recovery: A dragon will never fully recover from any cardiovascular problem of this nature, if they survive at all. The dragon should be pulled from a fighting wing, and allowed only light exercise daily. They should be closely monitored, and kept in low-stress situations where possible. Symptoms may be managed, but exertion should be avoided at all cost.
Constipation
Description: Constipation is common among weyrlings, though it may occur in infirm dragons who aren't exercising. If dragons are allowed to overeat repeatedly, they will become constipated, complaining about their stomach being in pain, and occasionally even complaining about their genitals being in pain. Most often accompanied by minor neglect, a dragon's tail will swell and the dragon will let the rider know about the discomfort until some sort of treatment is delivered. Though cured easily enough, this illness can be avoided entirely if the rider is attentive enough to keep the dragon from overeating.
Treatment: Apply the purge (an herbal laxative that flushes the dragon's system).
Recovery: Normally a day or two will pass before the dragon stops feeling 'funny', but they are permitted to rejoin their wing for regular duties the day after the purge. Riders should clean up after their lifemate, unless the rider is infirm, to remind them to watch what their dragon eats. Cleaning up after the purge is effective in deterring the weyrlings from indulging their lifemates in the future.
Dehydration
Description: Dehydration is the lack of adequate body fluids by loss, inadequate intake, or a combination of both for the body to carry out its normal functions and operate at an optimal level. In dragons it can be caused by diarrhoea, usually after a constipated dragon has been purged; from consistently flying at high altitude for long periods of time; desert climes; and also from loss of ichor. This can particularly be seen with severe Threadfall injuries.
Treatment: It is imperative that dehydration is treated as soon as it is identified. Most cases are often cured by oral re-hydration, but for moderate to severe cases of dehydration, intravenous fluids will be required. Water should be made constantly available for the dragon. In very severe cases, a Capable dragonhealer may have to draw ichor from another dragon to provide lubrication to the injured area.
Recovery: If the dehydration is not severe, usually a day or two of rest and drinking lots of water will correct any issue. If intravenous fluids are needed, the recovery may take a month or longer. This, again, is a case of when the dragon feels more energetic, they're probably okay. Depending on the severity, this may take a couple of days to upwards of a month or even six months for a dragon to fully recover.
Dislocation
Description: The displacement of a bone at a joint (dislocation) can be caused by a strong force wrenching the bone into an abnormal position or sometimes by violent muscle contractions. There may be tearing of the ligaments associated with the injury. Those joints most often affected include the hip, shoulder, digits and jaw. It can be difficult to distinguish a dislocation from a fracture, though they are usually differentiated from fractures by severe and 'sickening' pain rather than tenderness over the bone. Dislocations are rare in dragons.
Treatment: Wait until the swelling goes down some and then 'pop' the dislocation back into place. The easiest way to do this is to get a very large, very strong sheet, wrap it around the affected area, and get a whole group of people to hold on and lean away from the dragon, while the dragon slowly leans away from them. It may be helpful to get a gold to assist in both calming the dragon down as well as with the pull.
Recovery: Full recovery will take approximately two to four months. Soaking in the lake or ocean and doing gentle exercise in the water can reduce the swelling and help promote recovery. Dragons should be careful of repeat dislocations to the injury site, as this area will now become prone to this type of injury.
Eye Loss
Description: While rare, eye loss can, and does, happen. It is always the result of a serious accident. Eye loss will always retire a dragon from the fighting wings. Their balance may be affected, but they should be able to compensate for most of this once the loss becomes accepted. It is unknown how the loss of two eyes would affect a dragon, though it is postulated that they would go between at this stage, since it would essentially ground them, and make hunting and eating a near impossibility. Often times, the ichor loss from an eye loss results in death.
Treatment: Treat as a deep incision. Bandage the eye and try to stop the ichoring. If the loss is severe, the eye socket may need to be stitched closed.
Recovery: Obviously some of this injury may or may not heal. Use judgment to determine whether or not to remove the stitches in the eyelid for a complete eye loss; this will take around six to seven sevendays to heal. For the eye damage, remove the stitches after about a sevenday. The dragon may have some loss of sight, or may not. Make a determination on their fighting capacity based upon their sight loss, but most dragons will never fly in a fighting wing again.
Hide Complaints
Description: Hide complaints can arise from three areas of neglect. The first is that hide needs to be oiled regularly, if not, then cracks appear which can be fatal when going between. This can be a problem in young dragons, who grow rapidly, but older dragons are not exempt. In Weyrling dragons, oiling is a daily necessity, the benefit in this is that the rider's hands end up incredibly soft. The second is the problem of straps. Ill-fitting straps, those that are insufficiently oiled, those that have cracked or are damaged, can all rub and irritate a dragon's hide. The hide beneath these areas can become sensitive and chafed, and may crack, again leading to problems going between. The third, and final, problem is that of dull, lackluster and gray hide, which also indicates dehydration, and possible an infection.
Treatment: This is generally remedied by oiling the hide of the dragon.
Recovery: Dragon should not go between when there is a risk of the hide cracking. Problem should clear up in a day or two. Riders should be instructed to pay closer attention to their lifemates and their straps. Straps should be inspected daily for wear and tear. If it continues being a problem, think about padding out parts of the straps with strips of suede.
Ichoring
Description: There are three types of ichoring. Arterial, where the ichor is under pressure from the heart, causing severed arteries to spurt ichor several feet into the air and allow a dragon to ichor out rapidly. Capillary, which tent to ooze and can be found at the site of all wounds, leads to little ichor loss. Veinous, where the ichor can gush or pool but is generally not life threatening.
Treatment: In the case of slight ichoring, there is little danger, as the flow will clean out the wound stop on it's own. Moderate ichoring often requires numbweed or a pressure bandage to seal the wound. With severe ichoring, if the wound doesn't respond to pressure bandages, or if ichor is spurting from a wound, close off the artery, to allow for stitching.
Recovery: Generally, Again, for minor ichor loss, a day or two is all that is required. Dragons can not fly go between until after the stitches have been removed, and usually require a day or two after removal before the hide is no longer sensitive. In the case of severe ichor loss, when the dragon no longer feels woozy and wants to hunt, it is safe to move them back to their weyr and allow for light exercise. After that, treat as with any wound.
Incisions
Description: Made by a clean cut from a sharp edge, such as a knife, these wounds tend to lead to visible ichoring, as the hide is cut straight across. These wounds are rare in dragons, except in cases of surgery or treatment for severe infection.
Treatment: Clean out the wound with water and redwort, apply numbweed and allow the wound to dry in the air. If the ichoring does not stop within a reasonable amount of time, apply a bandage or stitch the wound closed.
Recovery: As long as movement causes the wound to tear or ooze ichor, the dragon should use the affected area as little as possible. In the case of severe incisions, this may require the dragon to be grounded. Once movements cause no damage and the skin around the incision appears healthy, the dragon may return to duty.
Infections
Description: Once ichoring has been stopped, the greatest danger from wounds is that of infection. Wounds that show no signs of healing within two days should also be considered to be infected and treated as such. The signs of infection include: increased pain and soreness, swelling and/or a feeling of heat from around the wound, pus from within or oozing from the wound, signs of extreme thirst, gray hide, or lethargy. Any of these signs are cause for concern and treatment should begin as soon as any of them are recognized.
Treatment: Hot poultices may be effectively used to try to draw out the infection. It may be necessary to pierce the wound to allow it to drain, or to re-open a wound and re-clean it, sometimes with a scrubbing brush and redwort. Both of these procedures are extremely painful, and the dragon may need to be controlled by a gold during the process. Extreme care should be taken to prevent further infection, and infection of others from infected materials. Dressings used on an infected wound should be destroyed, and tools should be boiled in water before re-use. The dragon should be watched carefully until the wound is fully healed.
Recovery: There is no accurate timetable for recovering from infection. Some dragons are fine a few days later, while others may take a few months. Once the dragon starts feeling better and more active, they're probably ready to go back to some light exercise. The dragon must be watched carefully until the wound has healed, as they will be more susceptible to a secondary infection, and the wound may need to be drained repeatedly.
Lacerations
Description: Rough tears caused by crushing or ripping forces, generally from another object or dragon. Lacerations ichor less than incisions; though there is more tissue damage. These may happen during a mating flight or collisions.
Treatment: See Incisions: Treatments.
Recovery: See Incisions: Recovery.
Muscle Injuries
Description: Injuries that seem to affect the muscles may also include the tendons and ligaments. Sprains happen when ligaments at, or near to, a joint are stretched, or damaged. A strain is a partial tearing of the muscle, often near the junction where the muscle and tendons anchor to the bone. Muscles may also be ruptured, where there is complete tearing of the muscle in the fleshy part of the muscle or in the tendon. Finally, there is always the association of deep bruising that can be extensive in large bulky muscles, such as the hind legs. Sprains, strains and deep bruising are very common and may occur from a wrenching, a sudden or violent movement that tears at surrounding tissues, or from over-stretching muscle groups. Injuries of this nature can occur to wings, forelimbs, hind limbs, necks and even tails. In young dragons it can be prevented through the use of muscle exercises, especially utilizing the water to develop muscle groups before they can be used as the water will cushion any deleterious effects. Treatment: Use of a hot poultice can be effective, but the best remedy is rest and gentle stretching of the muscles. Muscle injuries often benefit from immersion in salt water, and gentle exercise in the water.
Recovery: The dragon and rider should be cautioned to use care when resuming normal activities, as the injured area will be weak and may be more prone to re-injury for several sevendays. Recovery time depends on the severity. This could be anything from a day or two, to several sevendays. Both rider and dragon should be cautioned about returning to duty as the area may remain prone to similar injuries for some time.
Punctures
Description: Caused by the entry of a sharp foreign body into the hide, punctures are characterized by having a small site of entry but a deep track of internal damage. As dirt and germs can be carried far into the body, the risk of infection is high. These injuries are extremely rare.
Treatment: See Incisions: Treatments.
Recovery: See Incisions: Recovery.
Respiratory Conditions
Description: Respiratory conditions in Dragons are not common, and are generally restricted to irritation problems from inhalation of dust and/or sand. Dragons are not affected by colds and other influenza type illnesses.
Treatments: Allow the dragon to rest. It may be necessary to transport the dragon to a cooler clime, though normally Igen's dry heat solves most problems on it's own. Allowing the dragon to drink fresh water often cures the problems as well.
Recovery: The dragon should be grounded from sweeps, and movement restricted for up to a sevenday. After that, altitude flying should be of short duration for up to one month. If the condition does not improve, then the dragon should be removed from their fighting wing.
Scarring
Description: Scarring always depends on the severity of the wound. If stitches have been used, then there will be a scar. That said, the type of stitch used can minimize the appearance of scars. Any Threadscore will leave a mark, and even very minor scores can scar. Part of this has to do with the depth of the scoring, but also with the color of the dragon's hide. The paler the dragon, the less visible the scar. There is no magic formula to determine what will scar and what won't, however it's a given that any major wound to a dragon's hide will scar. Particularly thick scars can impact a dragon's ability to move the affected area.
Treatment: There are certain herbs and plants, high in Vitamin E content, that can help minimize the appearance of scars. Aloe in particular seems to work well at keeping the tissue supple. That said, there is no 'cure' for a scar other than to not get one in the first place.
Recovery: There is no recovery time; scars just are.
Stomach Complaints
Description: The important thing with stomach complaints is to determine the cause, this is because they have two stomachs. Overeating generally only happens in Weyrling dragons and can lead to constipation if left unchecked. Additionally, flying with an overfull stomach can lead to sprains and strains. Overeating can usually be diagnosed by asking the dragon if they've eaten recently. Because they kill their meat to eat fresh, it is exceptionally rare for a dragon to eat 'bad' meat. When dragons begin to chew firestone a stomach ache may result from chewing firestone that is of a poor grade. Bad firestone can be recognized by an uneven color, holes that vary widely in diameter, as well as tunnels that may go straight through the rock. Dragons may also regurgitate acid from the second stomach. This burning feeling will be fleeting and often will pass after a swallow or two. It is important to report any findings of bad firestone to the Weyrleaders, as this may indicate a larger problem.
Treatment: In the case of bad food, the feeling tends to go away on its own. If not, it may be necessary to apply a purge. For bad firestone, it's best to allow the dragon to regurgitate the bad stone.
Recovery: If the cause is bad firestone, and the firestone has been regurgitated as ash, the problem should clear. Dragons should not be allowed to head into Threadfall after consuming bad firestone, but should be cleared by the next Threadfall. If the cause is overeating, the dragon's eating habits need to be controlled better by their lifemate, especially since overeating can lead to constipation. Dragons should not be allowed to fly in case they strain themselves. Full recovery should happen within a day.
Threadscore
Description: Threadscore is a severe burn, caused by the fact that the strands of Thread grow very hot on its trip through the atmosphere. Thread also 'eats' any organic material, including dragons, causing a layer of hide to vanish, similar to the effects of acid. To be eaten by thread, the Thread needs to be in physical contact for a few seconds, and if it isn't caught in time, will send the dragon between to their death. The edges of any Threadscore wound are blackened and burned as if it were lanced through by a very hot blade. A simple Threadscore is noted by a clean laceration of a burn nature, the edges of the wound are blackened and the burn is shallow. A deep Threadscore looks similar, but the dragon will be ichoring profusely as the wound is deeper.
Treatments: Treat as you wound a burn, but keep in mind that it is possible that a Threadscore may require the burnt hide to be cut away and the edges stitched up. In those cases, treat as a laceration.
Recovery: Generally, the recovery is the same as with burns. Simple Threadscores are unlikely to trouble dragons once treated. Slightly deeper scores with no complications or infections may keep the dragon out of the air for a day or two. Severe, deep scorings are likely to keep a dragon out of the air for at least a sevenday, if not more. Any worse of a scoring, and there is likely to be a missing limb.
Wing Injuries
Description: From a practical point of view, a Dragon's wings are the most important part of their anatomy; after all, Dragons were bred specifically to be an effective aerial fighting force, and in order to fulfill this goal, usable wings are a requirement. Wing injuries are some of the most delicate and involved repairs any Dragonhealer can ever do. There are three levels of wing scorings: light(light tracks, the occasional hole, and maybe scores along the edges of the wing with little damage to any sails, veins, cartilage or edges); moderate(which may include damage to edges, sails etc., but will not include cartilage); severe, where wingsails, cartilage, bones and veins are all possibly affected.
Treatment: The best treatment is to stitch the wingsails together with as little thread as possible. Often, thin cloth is used as a loose bandage, but this often forces the dragon to remain sitting with one wing outstretched for as long as it takes to heal. Thankfully, dragon wing tissue heals well.
Recovery: Light wing tears heal in approximately a sevenday. Depending on the location of the injury, rehabilitate slowly. Moderate wing tears require several sevendays for recovery. Rehabilitate slowly, using exercises designed for weyrlings. Severe tears can take anywhere from a few months to a full Turn, depending on the severity of the injury. Dehydration is a constant fear, and scar and new tissue will overgrow the old pieces, causing the wing to look thick and unsightly. This will at first imbalance a dragon. Over time a dragon will compensate and the regenerated tissue will smooth out with wind-sand abrasion. Dragons can fly with one third of their exterior sails damaged. Inner wing injuries tend to be more serious, especially those closest the torso, since Thread can, depending on angle, sear through the wing and into the body, which may be fatal if it hits the lungs. Dragonhealers should rehabilitate their patients using wing strengthening exercises designed for weyrlings.
SUTURING
Stitches should be taken in any wound that is deep or gaping and in which the edges of the wound seem unlikely to stay together without more assistance than a bandage can supply. Stitches help provide a barrier to prevent infection of the underlying tissues. Care should be taken to draw the edges of the wound together neatly so there is no puckering of the surrounding skin and to take as few stitches as possible so the scar is as small as possible. A stitched wound should be kept moist with ichor to further avoid scarring. Stitches should be removed by a dragonhealer approximately a sevenday after insertion, but this may be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. In general, when a dragon begins to complain of itching, sufficient healing has taken place to allow the removal of the stitches.
Most dragonhealers utilize one method of stitching which can cause substantial scarring of the tissue, leaving the wound unsightly. The removal can be unpleasant for the dragon as scar tissue can form around the knots. Some higher qualified dragonhealers utilize a difficult technique called a 'running stitch.' This method consists of starting at one end and not at any point tying off, leaving no knots for scar tissue to form around and simplifying removal by needing only to snip one end and draw the thread out. Wounds are less puckered with the running stitch. Very experienced dragonhealers (usually ones who were former healers or beast-healers) have been known to master the 'one-handed suture', which allows for a running stitch to be tied off at both ends with a one-handed knot. This method is very advanced, and requires much dexterity and practice.
Applying normal stitches to a wound
Follow the normal procedure for washing up and cleaning a wound:
- Apply a thin coat of numbweed, using just enough to deaden the area.
- Caution the rider not to watch if they have a weak stomach. Many people are distressed by the sight of stitches being put into their dragon's hide.
- Using a sterile needlethorn and treated thread, usually coated with wax, make small neat stitches.
- Push the needle through the hide, towards the wound, then through the other side of the wound, from the wound and out, with the same piece of thread.
- Loop one end twice over the other and tighten. This will form a knot. Clip the excess and start the next stitch. (Note: for a running stitch, continue to sew much as with cloth, without forming knots and being careful not to pull the thread too tightly.)
- Continue until the edges of the wound is drawn together, but not tightly. Tight stitches will cause puckering of the surrounding hide, and may become impossible to remove. Make as few stitches as possible but make sure the wound does not gape. Leave a small gap of no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) to assist in preventing infection.
- Rinse the wound again with redwort, cleaning away any possible causes of infection that may have wandered into the wound.
- Apply a fresh coat of numbweed to the wound.
- Explain the signs of infection to the rider and warn them to see a Dragonhealer if they notice any of them.
- In a sevenday remove the stitches.
Removing Stitches from a Wound
- Wash and cleanse the area as usual and apply a light coat of numbweed.
- Ask the rider to look away if they are squeamish, so they will not be upset by the sight of the stitches being withdrawn.
- Clip the threads with scissors, or cut them with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut the hide.
- Using small forceps or tweezers, remove each of the threads from the hide.
- Rinse the area with redwort to ensure cleanliness.
- Apply a light coat of numbweed over the punctures left by the threads to seal them.
COMMON HERBS
The following herbs are most commonly used in dragonhealing. Please check +info healer herbs for additional information.
Aloe
Wherever aloe grows, it is well-known as everybody's favorite remedy for burns and rashes. Aloe can be characterized by its rosette of long, tapering, fleshy leaves that exude a thick sap when broken Aloe rarely grows more than 60 cm tall. There is no true stem or branches; the main body of the plant is merely the place from which all the leaves grow. Although it only grows in warm, dry regions, it also exists in pots throughout Pern. On the rare occasions that it flowers, it will grow a long flower stalk anywhere from one to six meters long, with yellow to red flowers that are quite pretty.
Unfortunately, aloe gel does not keep, extract, or dry very well, and is best used fresh. Any place that can grow it is strongly recommended to do so. To use, a leaf should be removed from the base of the plant with a sharp knife, and the fleshy part squeezed.
Aloe's uses include burns and rashes. It can help to reduce scarring, and soothe itching. It can also be used as a laxative, and may, if grown in sufficient resources, be used for constipated dragons.
Fellis
Fellis grows as a small, branchy tree easily recognized by its star-shaped yellow blossoms. The juice made from the leaves and stems is a powerful narcotic painkiller, with addictive tendencies. It is sparingly used by Healers, but is always used with caution, and never where a lesser remedy will suffice. Fellis is rarely, if ever, used in dragonhealing, and perhaps one out of 1000 dragonhealers has used it. Fellis may only be administered by the Senior or a designated capable.
Needlethorns
While not an herb, needlethorns are the naturally growing Pern equivalent of a syringe.
Needlethorns are the spines of a succulent bush which grows in the tropical regions of Pern. During the growing season, the plant will shoot the toxic spines at anything that disturbs it, but when the flowers of the ging trees which grow nearby open in the autumn, the plant is dormant and the spines can be safely gathered. The hollow needles are strong enough to be used for giving injections or for drawing ichor. When the ging trees are flowering, needlethorns should be gathered from the bushes and either placed in a basket or wrapped in the leaves of the ging tree.
Needlethorns should always be carefully sterilized with redwort before use, and rinsed with boiling water. They can be stored for long periods of time wrapped in thick, sterile cloth, or kept in a sterile box, but should never be re-used; to do so introduces an unacceptable risk of infection. Likewise, the syringes used for giving injections or drawing blood should be carefully sterilized in boiling water and redwort; however, because they are made of glass, they can be acceptably sterilized for re-use. Needlethorn tips are delicate, so first be sure the tip has not broken. Fit the needlethorn carefully to the end of the syringe, assuring that there are no gaps in the fit, and seal the connection with soft wax to prevent leakage. Before giving an injection, prepare the skin carefully by cleaning with water and redwort. Applying a small amount of numbweed and then carefully wiping the area clean will lessen the patient's discomfort without interfering with treatment. Injections are most easily made under the skin covering the arm or the hip, while blood is most easily drawn from the large veins running through the curve of the elbow.
Numbweed
Numbweed is a succulent plant which grows in greatest profusion in the semi-tropical and tropical regions of Pern, although it can be found in all areas. It produces a sap which deadens all feeling on contact; this can blister the skin in its raw form. Numbweed leaves are gathered, crushed and placed into a huge vat. They are then boiled until the numbweed turns a pale yellow color. The leaves are strained and the resulting liquid decanted. This is an extremely malodorous process, and a face scarf is highly recommended. The fact that numbweed boiling is undertaken regularly at all human habitations on Pern attests to the great effectiveness and necessity of the result.
Numbweed is always used in its salve form by dragonhealers. It is non-addictive, and in its salve form presents no danger of overdosing. Oil should be used to protect the hands when working with numbweed for a long time. Redwort can be used when the contact will be for a short period of time. All Healers carry it with them, and therefore no occasion should arise where a Healer would need to use the raw form of the plant. It is an external medicine only. It takes approximately three seconds for numbweed to penetrate the outer layer of dragon hide and slightly longer to go through to the lower layers.
Redwort
Redwort is a small, shrub-like plant which may be recognized by the reddish veins in its stem and its flat-topped, reddish-purple flowers. Redwort leaves are gathered and boiled until the tincture has been removed from the leaves, basically when the leaves turn colorless or dull from their normal reddish-purple hue. Leaves are strained and the resultant redwort stored. The redwort in this form is extremely concentrated and will need to be diluted with pre-boiled water before use.
Redwort has two main uses: an antiseptic wash to prevent infection, and as a defense against the effects of numbweed. The use of redwort leaves a red stain on the skin which resembles a very localized sunburn. All tools should be washed after use in very hot water with plenty of sweetsand, and then rinsed in redwort before storage in a sealed container. If a tool's sterility is in question, it should be rinsed in redwort before use. All dragonhealers should wash their hands well, then apply redwort before touching a wound. Open wounds should be rinsed well with water, bathed with redwort, and rinsed again to remove the redwort before numbweed is applied. Healers should take care to apply redwort and a light coat of oil to their hands before performing arduous work, such as stitches, on a wound coated with numbweed, and to re-apply frequently to avoid losing feeling in their hands.
