Healer

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Medical Knowledge

The Su'ndari people have a fairly sophisticated understanding of medicine and healing although it is far from complete.

• They understand that some medicical plants, medical actions and compounds will make infection less likely although they do not understand why.
• They are aware of how to set broken and dislocated bones.
• They understand that suturing a wound helps to ensure it heals better and are able to tie off those veins and arteries which can be easily reached.
• They can successfully perform minor surgeries such as the removal of cists and tumours.
• They know that vessels carry blood around the body but tend to treat all vessels (nerves, tendons etc) as part of the same system. They view the heart as the meeting point of a number of vessels which carry all the fluids of the body (from blood, which is correct), to tears, urine and sperm.
• Surgical and medical practices are written down and taught to physicians. There are vast libraries of such knowledge and specialisation is common.
• When treating wounds the chirurgeon generally relies on three fundamental techniques: washing, bandaging, and making poulstices.
• The human body is believed to be born in a healthy state and will only fall ill or die through the influence of a foreign agent. As they are not aware of microbiology, and have outgrown the belief that such things are down to the meddling of Gods the people generally believe that sickness is down to the complex fluid system of the body being disrupted.
• They are aware that the head is the seat of the body's control and that bruising in the brain needs surgical intervention if it is not to be fatal. The most popular theory at this present date is that the grey matter is a complex cooling device that keeps the heart from overheating.
• They understand that human waste, decomposing flesh and dirty environments are unhealthy.