Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of practices evolved to maintain and restore health, and to prevent and treat illness and disease.
Schools
Anatomy
Anatomy concerns the structure of living things: humans and other humanoids, animals, monsters and plants. It is studied by healers to better effect their craft and is taught at universities specializing in medicine (see below). Unfortunately, the study of anatomy may also be used for more nefarious activities such as aiding torture.
Draconic anatomy
The anatomy of dragons is particularly well understood, and it is clear that dragons have many elements within their anatomy that are unique.1
Apothecary and herbalism
- For a list of apothecary's shops with articles on PathfinderWiki, see Category:Apothecary's shops.
- For a list of herb shops with articles on PathfinderWiki, see Category:Herb shops.
Apothecaries and herbalists use their skills to provide substances, such as medicines, to aid healing. This study can be used for darker purposes, such as the manufacture of poisons and illicit drugs.
Pei Zing
Pei Zing herbalism is a medical practice popular across Tian Xia that associates life with the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Afflictions are categorized and treated accordingly, with treatments and elemental associations shifting with the seasons. The spread of Pei Zing practices was aided by the deity Qi Zhong.2
Acupuncture
Acupuncture as a non-magical healing technique was pioneered by the famous healers of Chu Ye3 atop the core concepts of Pei Zing herbalism. It manipulates the flow of qi through a patient's body.4
Chirurgery
Herbalism
Relaxation techniques
The use of relaxation techniques, such as massage, was pioneered by the famous healers of Chu Ye.3
Surgery and chirurgery
Surgery, sometimes denoted as chirurgery, is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of injury, deformity, and disease by manual and instrumental means. This is a skilled exercise usually learned at a university.
The mi-go are known to perform surgery on creatures using their specialized claws as a defense or form of attack, and have mastered surgical technologies.567
Trepanation
Trepanation is the practice of relieving pressure in the brain to heal and strengthen themselves of mental conditions, curses, and forms of compulsion.8 It is also ritually practiced by some followers of Lamashtu, who refer to it as the Ritual of the Third Eye.9
In religion
Certain deities are particularly associated with medicine and healing:
- Bolka, the dwarven goddess of marriage
- Furcas, the infernal duke of herbalism
- Irori, the god of enlightenment and self-perfection
- Jiraviddain, a mysterious infernal duke
- Korada, an empyreal lord
- Lorcan, another mysterious infernal duke
- Milani, the patron of all those who fight against oppression and unjust rule
- Pharasma, goddess of birth, death, fate, and prophecy
- Qi Zhong, the Master of Medicine
- Sarenrae, goddess of healing, honesty, redemption, and the sun
Pharasma is also a goddess with aspects associated with both birth and death. Midwives and those dealing with the dead are often servants or followers of Pharasma.10
Healing is part of Sarenrae's broader portfolio, and her church is well known for its treatment of the sick.11
Qi Zhong is a patron deity of both healing in general and medicine in particular among the peoples of Tian Xia, and many involved in these studies worship him.12
Aroden's religious text, The History and Future of Humanity, contains a treatise on medicine.13
The psychopomp usher Dammar the Denied is the usher of medicine and doctors, but also of alcohol and those who make it—ostensibly for its medical uses, though legends also tell that the Denied invented hangovers.14
In technology
Pharmaceuticals are technological applications of medical concepts, more advanced and versatile than other non-magical methods but limited in scope to Numeria and the Technic League that controls such discoveries.15 An especially complex example is the autodoc, a technological device capable of performing many kinds of medical procedures on a patient.16
In practice
Many of the gods are associated with medicine and healing. On a more practical level, moreover, the gods are often the source of healing by granting their servants—such as clerics, paladins, and other divine spellcasters—spells and other abilities that can cure wounds, poisons, diseases, or the curses associated with supernatural afflictions, or even bring a patient back from the dead. These abilities are often associated with the Conjuration school of magic.17
Some arcane spellcasters also have access to the Conjuration school's healing spells. Such healing comes not from the gods but from raw magic itself. This capability is used by the followers of Razmir, who provide arcane-based healing as a ruse to help convince non-believers that Razmir is indeed divine.18
Mundane healing is also available, and in the god-rejecting country of Rahadoum is the only medical help available.19 Practitioners can buy herbs, drugs, and other mundane healing substances and tools to aid in mundane medical practices. (See "Apothecary and herbalism" above.)
In organizations
- For a list of hospitals and similar healing establishments, see Category:Hospitals.
Medicine is taught at a number of institutions in Golarion, including:
- Alabaster Academy in Kintargo, Cheliax specializing in botany, medicine, and zoology.20
- The University of Lepidstadt, in Ustalav.21
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ “Draconic Anatomy” in Dragonslayer's Handbook, 16–17. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ “Medicine” in Tian Xia Character Guide, 106–109. Paizo Inc., 2024 .
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 “Regions of the Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Gazetteer, 20. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Medicine” in Tian Xia Character Guide, 106. Paizo Inc., 2024 .
- ↑ “Wake of the Watcher” in Wake of the Watcher, 52. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Wake of the Watcher, 86. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Wake of the Watcher, 87. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Occult Feats” in Occult Origins, 25. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in House of the Beast, 89. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ “Deities” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 224. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Deities” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 225. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Faith: Gods of the Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Primer, 26. Paizo Inc., 2012 .
- ↑ “Faith: Aroden” in Humans of Golarion, 27. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Auditors of the Absolute” in Concordance of Rivals, 8. Paizo Inc., 2019 .
- ↑ Technology Guide. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ “Technological Hazards and Artifacts” in Technology Guide, 60. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ “Magic” in Core Rulebook, 209. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ “Other Gods” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 235. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Rahadoum” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 154. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Kintargo” in In Hell's Bright Shadow, 69. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ “Cities and Settlements” in Rule of Fear, 46. Paizo Inc., 2011 .