BLOOD-LOSS Management

Shutting down the old Herbal Preparations for Surgical Treatments and organizing the treatments in Pain Remedies, Blood-Loss Management and Infection Cures. Historically (on earth) advancement in these areas significantly improved mortality rates in medical and surgical treatments. The European middle ages were not very advanced in these areas, thus we had lots of death. I think we will find we in Santharia are somewhat more advanced (at least in New-Santhala) but then again we have magic and various races to pull from.

BLOOD-LOSS Management
What soldier, knight or warrior has not seen one of his kinsmen sustain a wound and subsequently bleed to death? Blood-loss, along with infection, is one of the major causes of death on the battlefield. In addition almost all surgeries involve blood, and the management of blood-loss is essential in the health of the patient. Many experiments have been performed on captured enemies to test the ability to manage or stop the flow of blood with varying results. As such, over the centuries a variety of methods for controlling the flow of blood have been developed. Many of these methods are being widely used in New-Santhala and in the more advanced military garrisons throughout Southern Sarvonia, with great success. Even some of the more barbaric tribes in Caelerath are beginning to see the value in the methods described. Some of these methods involve pastes and ointments while other methods are more direct.

Arryi Flower Potion("Purple Lantern")
The arryi, or purple lantern, as it is mainly called in Aeruillin, is a flower which is encountered often by the Shendar when they travel through the Aj’nuvic Grounds. Though found mostly in these grounds, as they have the ideal climate for its reproduction, the plant has been seen in other areas in Caelereth also, for example the Cár'cál'cáey Mountains of Aeruillin. The plant has a very distinctive look, its long stems richly hung with many purple little flowers ("lanterns"). When an arryi dies in winter the flowers will turn blue, causing much awe amongst the Shendar, blue being of course their tribal colour. When an arryi flower perishes in the winter, the blossoms change from purple to blue. These blue flowers may be collected and dissolved into water to produce a medicinal preparation to stanch bleeding. Caution should be exercised to use only the blue flowers of the arryi which die in winter. The fertile flowers of the living arryi are purple, and these would prove fatal if ingested. The purple flower for which the arryi obtained its name may induce rapid, massive bleeding from multiple sites, which is almost impossible to stanch. The potion derived from the blue flowers of winter stop one from bleeding, causing the blood to clot very fast. The cold of winter turning the purple lantern to the frigid blue of death evokes the sound of Queprur's whisper chilling the land. This explains the efficacy of the potion of the blue arryi flower, the emboldened choler hardening the body against mortal wounds and freezing the outflow of blood. Found in Santharian province Truban northwest of Nirmenith Mountains, Aj’nuvic Grounds, and in the mountains of Aeruillin.

Cauterization
A crude yet widely use method is the practice of cauterizing the wounded area. With this method the area in question is burned with a hot iron, boiling oil or a fire brand to close the vessels and stop the flow of blood. Advancements in cauterization have lead to the invention of a small L-shaped cauterization instrument consisting of a wooden handle a little longer than a palm span, with a metal rod coming out of the handle another palm span or so, bending at a right angle, and ending with a metal implement looking something like a tiny battleaxe head. When heated to searing hot over an open flame, this instrument is touched firmly but briefly to an open wound to burn (cauterize) bleeding vessels. This instrument is growing in popularity over the Sarvonian continent.

Clamping Vessels
A very advanced, yet rarely practiced, method of managing blood loss is tying off or clamping blood vessels. This procedure requires a more advanced knowledge of anatomy and requires proper technique and rare specialized clamping tools only found in New-Santhala. This method is utilized during surgical procedures and is said to be the cause of the increase success rate of surgeries over the past 50 years.

Odea Moss Paste or Powder
In the gap between the Auturian Woods and the Tolonian Heath grows the odea moss, a deep green, very shiny, and incredibly slippery moss. While attached to its host the odea appears as tiny spheres. Once removed from its host plant, it starts to die a disgustingly slimy death. Appearing during the colder months of the year, the odea moss has been used by the Tethinrhim elves since it was discovered as a highly potent healing plant. Fresh odea moss is plucked from its host plant and mixed with a small quantity of blood from the victim. This forms a paste which is applied onto a wound. Alternatively, the moss may be removed and dried in the sun to form a powder. This powder, while not quite as potent as the fresh moss, still retains its property of mending wounds. Either fresh odea moss made into a paste, or dried odea powder, along with a drop of blood from the wounded, spread over a wound and left to be absorbed into the body, helps wound binding. This process should be repeated a number of times according to the severity of the wound. The odea moss does not need to be removed. Odea moss is rumored to be the creation of Nehtor (God of Healing) having witnessed the horrors and burns to the remaining Tethinrhim elves when the Auturian Woods were burnt down in 806 b.S., assisting to help the elves to recover their strength. It is believed that odea moss appeals to the Foiroan constituent, coaxing the ichor to weave the fabric of the body into an intact tapestry of nature once again. Found in lower regions of Auturian Woods, Tolonian Heath, and rarely western side of Marcogg.

Ormelin Fluid
The redberry is a common, medium-sized bush that can be found throughout most of Caelereth (with the exception of southern Nybelmar and Aeruillin). Each bush produces many small, tart, red berries, useful for cooking as well as being a primary ingredient of ormelin (orm conservation fluid). The fruit juice of redberries is one of the main ingredients in ORMELIN (orm conservation fluid).
Ormelin fluid ingredients (makes about 2 mugs):
1) Orms; more orms make the fluid stronger. Any orm is suitable.
For moderate strength, it is common to use about 200 orms.
2) Powdered lotann leaves, about 3 ladles.
3) Fresh alth’ho roots, about 15. (other grasses may be substituted)
4) Sunflower petals, about 8-10.
5) Redberry juice, about a sip.
6) Water, about 3 mugs.
7) A pinch of iron (rust is suitable) or other metals.
8) Icemilk, about 3 sips of their sap.
9) Mil'no, about 5 leaves.
Boil the water in an iron pot. When it's boiling, add the lotann leaves, the alth’ho roots, the sunflower petals, the icemilk sap and the mil'no leaves. Put a lid in the pot and let it boil for 35 minutes. Make sure that leaves and roots are cooked asunder. If not, squash them with a fork, and boil 5 minutes more. Then add the redberry juice and the pinch of iron. Let it boil for 20 minutes and add the orms. After boiling for another 10-15 minutes let it cool down, and pour it into a glass flask.
The alchemical genius of ormelin is obvious even to the unstudied herbalist. The method of brightening the Foiroan constituent (ichor) and at the same time amplifiying the sanguine constituent re-establishes a balance between the body’s passionate and cerebral influences. The fluid is used as a cure-all elixir and significantly aids in the healing of wounds and blood-loss recovery as well as healing infection.

Tourniquets
Tourniquets are often used to prevent blood loss immediately following an injury. The objective is to tie a supple material above a seeping wound preventing the flow of blood to the wound. However a tourniquet can also have the effect of killing the entire appendage and must be used with care.

Yahrle Ointment
Yahrle healing herb is also refered to as Meadow Hop, Military Herb or Staunchweed. It is found in the Aurora Fields, Heath of Jernais in Santharia, and Wilshirer Heath in Northern Sarvonia. The stem rises about 1 fore, and is angular and rough with spear shaped leaves. These leaves are one to one and a half palmspans long and 3 nailbreadths broad, growing out of the stem at the base, and have a feathery appearance. The leaves and stem of the yahrle give off a very pungent peppery smell. It flowers from late spring to early fall, with white or pale lilac blooms. The petals look like minute blades with flattened, loose heads. The whole plant is harvested, dried and made into an ointment. The ointment is applied to a wound to stop any bleeding. It is said by the elves that yahrle is one of the herbs dedicated to Coór, sometimes referred to as Coór's Nettle or Coór's Shadowing, and was used for divination in spells. It has also been used in folk superstitions to gain a vision of one's future husband or wife. It is speculated that Baveras smiles gently on those who use yahrle ointment, and this stanches the ebb of blood from a wound.