Health and Healing Guide

RP Level: Advanced

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PLEASE NOTE: This guide is purely intended for purposes relative to roleplaying. In absolutely no way should you rely on these statements to prevent, treat, or diagnose any illnesses. Do not take anything you read on this page as sound medical advice; while it has been researched for realism, the contributors to this guide are in no way doctors and their advice and words should never be taken as such. Thank you!

Post-Apocalyptic Medicine

'Souls takes place many years after the destruction of humanity, naturally. Humanity's extinction caused much of their knowledge, including that of advanced medical treatments and hospitals, to die with them, of course. However, this does not mean that our characters here at 'Souls are incapable of caring for themselves and their health. Characters at 'Souls who profess some kind of medicinal talent aren't claiming to be PhDs or brain surgeons -- instead, they generally practice what is known as traditional medicine.

Traditional medicine is defined as "the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being." So, while these characters do not have access to a sanitized and cleaned hospital bed, they are able to effectively treat many ailments, injuries, and illnesses. Some characters have sharpened these skills over a long period of time, growing more adept at healing as they practice their skills; others have learned this trade directly from family, inheriting generations of practice and knowledge from their ancestors.

Safety

One of the issues inherent on relying on the natural world for ones' medicine is that the natural world is not nearly as uniform as a pill treatment. Even two of the same species of plant picked from right next to one another may contain different amounts of a certain chemical -- good or bad. Healers must be especially careful when administering dosages and treatments; there is no standardized, uniform way to treat one injury, and so healers should work from prior experience and current knowledge to formulate the best plan of action according to the situation at hand.

Preventative Medicine

Like modern medicine, much of the techniques and herbs described here are not only useful for treating problems, but they may also come in handy at preventing them in the first place. A character with arthritic limbs may enjoy long-term benefits from regular warm poultices, and such treatment may prevent a more severe injury. Healers should not focus only on fixing problems after they occur, but helping their pack and friends prevent these problems before they even begin.

Preparation

Collecting Herbs

Fresh herbs, from sxc.hu

A good herbalist will know the best time to harvest their particular plants -- e.g., the time of year that the plants are at their fullest bloom or strongest concentration. Picking should be done on rain-free and dew-free days to avoid complications from moulding. Flowers should be picked in the morning; roots and leaves should be picked in the afternoon. One should insure that the plants selected have had ample time to grow and have been taken from an area that will maximize their potential (e.g., for sun-loving plants, insure that the area is well-lit).

Drying & Storing Herbs

Different types of plants require different drying techniques. Green, above-ground plants should be dried in a hot, dark, and dry place. Roots and bark should be dried in well-lit, hot places. Most types of herbs can be hung up to dry, or placed on a grill and dried. Although fire-drying is effective and fast, one should be careful not to burn the plants, of course. Some types of roots -- e.g., garlic and ginger -- require a night's soak in water prior to processing to allow the outermost husk to be more easily peeled away. Some of these roots do not require drying if being made into a paste; powders still require drying prior to making the substance.

Various dried herbs, from sxc.hu

Most herbs can be stored in a darkened pot. It is important to make sure that the substances are completely dry prior to placing them into storage; moisture can lead to mold, which can of course ruin an entire batch of dried herbs! If paper is available, some herbs can be wrapped in paper or placed into a paper bag. Of course, given the scarcity of that resource, other storage methods are easier to access.

Administration

Primarily Oral

Consumption

Various herbs and plants can be eaten raw and whole; some of the herbal powders produced from drying can even be eaten to effectively treat some ailments. However, this may be very unpleasant to some canines, as many substances have powerful and bitter tastes as well as strange textures -- typically, some form of infusion is used to make the herbs more palatable.

Tinctures, Elixirs & Vinegars

Elixir, from sxc.hu

A tincture is an extract or solution of a plant or herb, generally soaked in alcohol (although non-alcoholic varieties can also be made) for several weeks and then strained. Tinctures are advantageous as some materials are not water soluable and some materials are not alcohol soluable; tinctures combine both liquids in order to draw the maximum effectiveness from the substance at hand. Alcohol is advantageous as a solution because it often covers some of the bitter or nasty taste herbs can leave in a patient's mouth after administering.

The alcohol also generally acts as a preservative -- tinctures can be kept for a maximum of two years, provided the alcohol content is high enough. However, the use of alcohol in tinctures can lessen the effects of the plants or herbs, and so a good healer will likely consider other methods of delivery as well. Ethanol (drinking alcohol) is typically used for tinctures. Tinctures can be taken internally or used externally, typically used as one ingredient in a cream or ointment. Elixirs are essentially the same thing, but are always taken orally.

Vinegars are this same extract or solution, except it is prepared with acetic acid (vinegar) as the solution. They are advantageous because they are not intended to be taken independently; vinegars infused with herbs or other medicinal plants are generally used for added flavoring on food, and thus they are quite easy to administer to even the most obstinate of canines. Typically, vinegars are made from plants with desirable flavors -- acetic acid does not completely mask the original flavor, and so if a bitter-tasting plant is used as a basis, alcohol-based solutions are preferable.

Teas, Decoctions & Infusions

Infused liquid, from Flickr

Tea making and drinking is a very old way of administering medicine to a sick or injured party. Hot water is generally poured over the leaves, roots, or other plant parts and allowed to steep for a few moments. They are excellent for many different purposes -- stimulants, relaxants, or even sedatives. Teas are also a good way to allow for the antioxidant properties of some plants to take hold -- hot water does not destroy these properties as the alcohol used in tinctures and elixirs does.

A decoction is very similar to a tea; the primary difference being that the former is usually boiled in water for a far longer amount of time than tea, generally a period about ten hours. Decoctions are useful for "tougher" plant parts such as bark, roots, and berries. Infusions are very similar to decoctions, but they typically use oil as the base solution. As with vinegars, infusions are typically made with sweet-tasting plants. Infusions may be stored for extended periods of time, while decoctions and herbal teas are most effective when taken immediately.

Maceration

Maceration is a sort of cold infusion; maceration does not utilize heat. Maceration is typically only done in plants with a high mucilage (a thick, gooey substance found in many plants) content -- e.g., aloe vera, cactus. The plants are typically chopped into small pieces, and left to steep in water for a period of around ten hours. Maceration may be done with various liquids -- alcohols, vinegars, oils, even plain water.

Syrups

Syrups are usually made from honey or some type of sugar; 13 parts of herb are mixed to 7 parts of plant extract and 7 parts of water. This concoction is then boiled and macerated for a period of several weeks. Syrups are very useful as they are typically sweet, negating bitterness or unpalatable tastes found in many other oral administration routes. Their high sugar content also means they can be stored virtually indefinitely, though crystallization will of course occur eventually and the syrup will require re-heating to return to viscous form. Honey is also useful in and of itself for injuries, as it promotes wound healing.

Primarily Topical

Essential Oils

Essential oils are typically high-fragrance, high-content oils created from plants. Unlike infusions made from oil, essential oils are extremely high content, and they are not intended for oral consumption or even application to the skin in undiluted form, for many of these oils. Essential oils are typically used as a part of aromatherapy, or diluted to very low contents with another base oil and applied to the skin.

Essential oils are difficult to produce as they require distillation (much the same as alcohol) for the best products. However, they can also be derived through pressing -- that is, literally squeezing the most essential products from the insides of the plant. This is difficult to do with many plants, and does not produce a product as pure as distillation. Citrus oils are relatively easy to press from the skins of citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges).

Salves, Balms & Lotions

A mortar and pestle, a common implement used to grind herbs. From sxc.hu

Salves, balms, and lotions are how a healer would treat the vast majority of external injuries encountered. These are typically created from some form of powdered herb -- creams can be created using oil and water in equal proportions; ointments can be created using a mixture of 80% water to 20% oil, advantageous to reducing moisture loss; and pastes, which combines a majority of powder with a little bit of water and are targeted and effective for new injures.

Depending on the type of injury and location, one will want to use a different type of salve. Sensitive areas with injuries (e.g., the face, around the eyes, groin area) should avoid pastes, as they may be too strong for those areas. One must also be careful in dosing with pastes -- inflaming an already injured area by applying too much of a too-strong paste is no good. Ointments can be used for an injury that is further along in healing, and creams are also useful for older injures, as they penetrate through the outer layer of skin effectively.

Poultices & Compresses

Poultices are similar to pastes in the way they are made; a small amount of (typically warmed) water is used to rehydrate dried plant parts. The paste substance is then either applied to a bandage or cloth, which is wrapped around the wounded area. Open poultices, where there is no bandage or cloth and the paste is simply applied to the wounded area, are also useful. Poultices and compresses are especially useful for fresh injuries, as well as old and arthritic injuries and inflammation. Poultices that dry out -- e.g., poultices made from bread and grains -- can also be used to treat wounds bordering on infection; they reduce inflammation and draw out much of the moisture infectious bacteria need to survive.

Other

Inhalation

Incense, commonly used in aromatherapy. From Totalaldo@Flickr

Inhalation and aromatherapy are especially effective against fighting any problems in the respiratory system, from the common cold to more serious infections. In inhalation therapies, plant parts are typically steamed in very hot water, which the patient can then inhale. If a steam room or other area is available, this may also ease treatment. Aromatherapy is typically done with essential oils, which are heated to help the scents release from the oil and permeate the area, which may be effective in the treatment of some mood and emotional issues.

Herbs & Plants

There is no possible way we can cover every single medicinal or herbal plant out there -- we can only provide a fraction of the potential healing plants available. Fortunately, there are various resources available to help you out! If you find any plants that are native or invasive in the Nova Scotia area and are incredibly helpful as far as their healing properties, please feel free to contact an administrator with your suggestion.

Resources

Herbs for Dogs @ Docstoc -- This is available through Public Domain; you are free to download it and reprint and refuse it to your hearts content.
Herbs for Dogs @ Lowchensaustralia -- This is a very long, very large resources of various herbs and plants that can be used on dogs.
Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats -- This is another resource and article regarding herbal and natural medicine for animals.
List of Plants Toxic to Dogs -- This is provided by the ASPCA. You should always double-check with this list to make sure the plant you plan on using is non-toxic.
Toxic Plants -- This is another resource of toxic plants. Again, make sure you check before you use a certain kind of plant!

Common Plants

Yarrow -- Diaphoretic, astringent, tonic, stimulant and mild aromatic. Should not be used internally, ever -- highly toxic if taken internally.
Pennyroyal -- Highly poisonous in large doses, Pennyroyal tea is the use of an infusion made from the herb. The infusion is widely reputed as safe to ingest in restricted quantities. It has been traditionally employed and reportedly successful as an emmenagogue (menstrual flow stimulant) or as an abortifacient.
Garlic -- Garlic is one of the oldest treatments for worms and parasites. However, garlic taken over long periods of time or garlic in large doses can be extremely toxic to canines, and so garlic should be used very sparingly and in small doses.
Aloe Vera -- Healing wounds, healing burns, skin disorders, etc. Aloe vera can be used on pet cuts and abrasions the same way it is used on people. However, Aloe is very toxic if ingested and should only be used topically.
Marigold (Calendula genus) -- Anti-viral, anti-genotoxic, anti-inflammatory properties; Calendula in suspension or in tincture is used topically to treat acne, reducing inflammation, controlling bleeding and soothing irritated tissue; Calendula has been used traditionally for abdominal cramps and constipation. New leaves and stems should be avoided with the marigold, as these can be toxic to canines. ¹
Cranberry -- Cranberry can be used to treat urinary tract infections -- there are no known toxic effects on canines.
Ginger -- Anti-nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort. There are no known toxic effects on canines. ²
Meadowsweet -- Can be used for a variety of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial purposes due to presence of salicylic acid. Effective for fevers and inflammations, pain relief, ulcers and bacteriostatic. This is the plant aspirin was originally derived from. There are no known toxic effects on canines.
St. John's Wort -- Can be used to treat mild to moderate depression; however, photosensitivity is often seen in those administered this herb. ³
Willow Bark -- Can be used for a variety of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial purposes due to presence of salicylic acid and tannins There are no known toxic effects on canines.³
Fennel -- Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly-flavoured leaves and fruits, which are often mistermed "seeds" Its aniseed flavour comes from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though usually not as strong. It is highly edible, and used in various forms of cooking. Medicinally, it can be used to relax the intestines and reduce bloating caused by digestive disorders. It can also be used to ward off fleas and other insects.
Witch Hazel -- Astringent, wound-cleaner, anti-itching. It reduces swelling and inflammation in the blood vessels. There are no known toxic effects on canines, and witch hazel may be safely consumed.
Bayberry (Myrica) -- Traditionally used to make candles, the bayberry wax is a potent and powerful insect repellent.
Virgin's Bower (Clematis Ligusicfolia) -- Despite its toxicity, Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections.[1] A whole-plant hot water extraction was used to treat eczema, and a leaf compress is used to treat chest pain, sores, and boils. Extremely toxic if ingested in large amounts -- use with care.
Sweet Gale (Myrica gale) -- In some native cultures in Eastern Canada, the plant has been used as a traditional remedy for stomach aches, fever, bronchial ailments and liver problems. It has also been used to enhance the lucidity of dreams. No known toxic effects on dogs.
Opium Poppies (Papaver somniferum) -- Poppy seeds of Papaver somniferum are an important food item and the source of poppyseed oil, a healthy edible oil that has many uses. The opium poppy is the principal source of all natural opiates. Opiates are extracted from opium and poppy straw. Opium (also called "raw opium") is the latex harvested by making incisions on the green capsules (seed pods). Poppy straw is the dried mature plant except the seeds.