Post by brimstone81 on Apr 11, 2008 19:43:03 GMT -5
Narwina stood at the front of the room, doing what she loved best these days- teaching. While of course she was called to see special cases for children, the Master Healer spent much of her time mentoring journeymen and teaching apprentices. Of course her induction as a master was not well taken by the other jealous masters, but she could handle them.
She smiled slightly as the students filed in to their seats. Once the room was full, she started her lecture, "Welcome back to class, apprentices, today I will introduce the study of plants. As a healer, it is incredibly important that you remember basic herb knowledge. Today I will go through some common herbs and their medicinal value. Please take notes, as this will be a large part on your exams later on this turn."
The students were not privy to a lot of writing supplies, as the best skins were saved for important records, so whatever they did find to make notes upon, were used. The Healer craft would have to rely heavily on lectures and practice. Unlike a lecture hall on the planet Terra, the student healers on Pern looked on with no intentions of writing physical notes as Narwina grabbed a potted plant from a table covered in Pernese flora.
The first plant most any common woman, or man, knew on sight. It was a twiggy plant that was colored greyish green and had pointy, arrow shaped leaves. It didn't need introduction, however, Narwina spoke, "This, apprentices, is a numbweed plant. It is used to treat everything from sore joints, to cuts, and as lore had it, threadscore. Some of you have prepared it from your native holds, even Weyr, if we are so lucky to have a promising Weyr student here." There was always usually one, though apprentices from the Weyrs were few and far between because they used their young as candidates. Sometimes the Weyrhealer found a brilliant young lad to send.
"And if you hadn't, you will be pleased to know that you will be very soon! The Healer Hall is planning on having a numbweed brewing morning in the sevenday." And she heard a few groans, probably from the ones who knew what a stinky process numbweed making was. "When correctly applied to the recipe, numbweed becomes a salve and jarred. Most of our own numbweed salve is consumed here, but sometimes a few jars make it to the market for those who do not have the time to make their own."
Narwina put that plant back, and the grabbed another to bring to the front desk. The plant was not potted, like the other, rather this was a few branches about a foot long each. It was the branches from a small tree, with green leaves and canary yellow flowers. The petals from the flowers were pointy, and distinct, though very pretty. "Now this is Fellis. The fellis tree at one time could be found almost any where. We have more access than most to fellis trees, and these are a few cuttings from our own. When the leaves, not the flowers nor the fruit, of the fellis tree is boiled, it makes a painkiller healers imploy to the injured. Fellis is highly addictive when it is turned into a narcotic, and later we will go into detail the signs of addiction. It is very important as healers we do not let any one become an addict. Of course, if this was the case, there is a herb to counter act the addiction. But I wouldn't take any chances, if I were you."
Then she replaced fellis with a bunch of sticks. "This is what redwort looks like when it is cut from the ground and cleaned of their little branches. The stems are harvested from the little bushes, and you can find a redwort plant from their distinctive purple or pink flowers. These stems, for those of you who cannot see, have red running through them, so use your noodle,
"purple flat flowers,
not far from the dirt,
anti-numbweed powers,
It's redwort, redwort!
"Remember it, students. Also, redword leaves a red stain on your hand. It keeps things clean, and can protect you from affects of numbweed." She put it back and stared at the table for a bit. Then she grabbed a little basket. She showed one tiny needle, "This is from the needlethorn bush. When it is clean of barbs, it is used with a syringe to draw blood. However, beware when harvesting it, because most of the year it's toxic. Only get needlethorn when the ging tree is in full bloom."
She brought over a round orange fruit and a fuzzy, mossy herb. "This first, the fruit, is called citron, and it has been proven to be good to keep away sickness. I am sure you have all eaten it, as it is not necessarily a medicine fruit, it just seems to just have some benefits. And finally, I have to show you mosstea, which we use to pack wounds. However, it also makes a good tea that is soothing and calming. That is all I have for you today, it is a short lesson. Any questions? If not, you are dismissed, but know we are going to have a quiz on them next sevenday!"
She smiled slightly as the students filed in to their seats. Once the room was full, she started her lecture, "Welcome back to class, apprentices, today I will introduce the study of plants. As a healer, it is incredibly important that you remember basic herb knowledge. Today I will go through some common herbs and their medicinal value. Please take notes, as this will be a large part on your exams later on this turn."
The students were not privy to a lot of writing supplies, as the best skins were saved for important records, so whatever they did find to make notes upon, were used. The Healer craft would have to rely heavily on lectures and practice. Unlike a lecture hall on the planet Terra, the student healers on Pern looked on with no intentions of writing physical notes as Narwina grabbed a potted plant from a table covered in Pernese flora.
The first plant most any common woman, or man, knew on sight. It was a twiggy plant that was colored greyish green and had pointy, arrow shaped leaves. It didn't need introduction, however, Narwina spoke, "This, apprentices, is a numbweed plant. It is used to treat everything from sore joints, to cuts, and as lore had it, threadscore. Some of you have prepared it from your native holds, even Weyr, if we are so lucky to have a promising Weyr student here." There was always usually one, though apprentices from the Weyrs were few and far between because they used their young as candidates. Sometimes the Weyrhealer found a brilliant young lad to send.
"And if you hadn't, you will be pleased to know that you will be very soon! The Healer Hall is planning on having a numbweed brewing morning in the sevenday." And she heard a few groans, probably from the ones who knew what a stinky process numbweed making was. "When correctly applied to the recipe, numbweed becomes a salve and jarred. Most of our own numbweed salve is consumed here, but sometimes a few jars make it to the market for those who do not have the time to make their own."
Narwina put that plant back, and the grabbed another to bring to the front desk. The plant was not potted, like the other, rather this was a few branches about a foot long each. It was the branches from a small tree, with green leaves and canary yellow flowers. The petals from the flowers were pointy, and distinct, though very pretty. "Now this is Fellis. The fellis tree at one time could be found almost any where. We have more access than most to fellis trees, and these are a few cuttings from our own. When the leaves, not the flowers nor the fruit, of the fellis tree is boiled, it makes a painkiller healers imploy to the injured. Fellis is highly addictive when it is turned into a narcotic, and later we will go into detail the signs of addiction. It is very important as healers we do not let any one become an addict. Of course, if this was the case, there is a herb to counter act the addiction. But I wouldn't take any chances, if I were you."
Then she replaced fellis with a bunch of sticks. "This is what redwort looks like when it is cut from the ground and cleaned of their little branches. The stems are harvested from the little bushes, and you can find a redwort plant from their distinctive purple or pink flowers. These stems, for those of you who cannot see, have red running through them, so use your noodle,
"purple flat flowers,
not far from the dirt,
anti-numbweed powers,
It's redwort, redwort!
"Remember it, students. Also, redword leaves a red stain on your hand. It keeps things clean, and can protect you from affects of numbweed." She put it back and stared at the table for a bit. Then she grabbed a little basket. She showed one tiny needle, "This is from the needlethorn bush. When it is clean of barbs, it is used with a syringe to draw blood. However, beware when harvesting it, because most of the year it's toxic. Only get needlethorn when the ging tree is in full bloom."
She brought over a round orange fruit and a fuzzy, mossy herb. "This first, the fruit, is called citron, and it has been proven to be good to keep away sickness. I am sure you have all eaten it, as it is not necessarily a medicine fruit, it just seems to just have some benefits. And finally, I have to show you mosstea, which we use to pack wounds. However, it also makes a good tea that is soothing and calming. That is all I have for you today, it is a short lesson. Any questions? If not, you are dismissed, but know we are going to have a quiz on them next sevenday!"
