About the Green Caste - Physicians

How one joins a Caste - "The Caste structure is relatively immobile, but is not frozen, and depends on more than birth. For example, if a child in his schooling shows that he can raise Caste, as the expression is, he is permitted to do so. But, similarly, if a child does not show the aptitude expected of his Caste, whether it be, say, that of the Physician or Warrior, he is lowered in Caste." (Tarnsman of Gor pg 42)

"I knew that the Gorean Caste lines though largely following birth were not inflexible, and that a man who did not care for his Caste might be allowed by the High Council of his city, an approval usually contingent on his qualifications for the work of another Caste and the willingness of the members of the new Caste to accept him as a Caste Brother." (Priest Kings of Gor pg 71)

( Jason Marshall speaking of Castes in general ) "Though one is commonly born into a Caste one is often not permitted to practice the caste craft until a suitable apprenticeship has been served." (Fighting Slave of Gor pg 209)

AOL Norman Gor Education Scrolls
Written by Ubar Luther

GOREAN MEDICINE (#16, Version 4.0)

The Physician's Caste is one of the five High Castes on Gor. Their caste color is green. It is one of the few castes where women actually engage in caste work. But, women cannot practice medicine until they have first bore two children. In many cities, at age fifteen, a woman dons two bracelets, and one is removed for each child born. The reason behind this is that it is understood that professional women tend not to reproduce themselves. This would serve over time to diminish the quality of the caste. Thus, the rule helps to preserve the future of the caste. The welfare of the caste takes priority over the ambitions of specific individuals. The welfare of a larger number of individuals is more important than the welfare of a smaller number of individuals. Caste is vitally important to Goreans.

Gorean medicine is not depicted in great detail in the novels. In some ways, it is more primitive than Earth medicine. Goreans do not possess computers to help them in diagnosis or research. They do possess though many diagnostic machines that do not use computers. But, in other ways, Gorean medicine is far more advanced than Earth. Gor has created potent drugs and serums that earth only dreams about. And they created them without the aid of computers. Disease is almost unknown on Gor except for a very few horrible diseases such as Dar-kosis, Bazi plague and the pox.

Dar-kosis is a virulent, horrible, wasting disease and is similar in many ways to leprosy. Dar-kosis means Holy Disease and it is also known as the Sacred Affliction. The diseased are commonly known as Afflicted Ones. The name of the disease is rarely mentioned. The Initiates feel Dar-kosis is an instrument of the Priest-Kings to punish those who displease them. The afflicted are holy to the Priest Kings and it is heresy to shed their blood though they can be stoned. It is highly contagious and the afflicted must wear yellow robes as a mark. Many victims also periodically clack a wooden device to warn people to stay away. Initiates have arranged Dar-Kosis pits where the Afflicted may voluntarily imprison themselves, to be fed with food dropped by men on tarns. Once in a Pit, an Afflicted is not permitted to leave.

Because it is considered a holy disease, the Initiates will not let the Physician's Caste search for a cure. Some Physicians in Ar once tried to seek a cure, and were making good ground, when Initiates hired some men to destroy all of their research. Some Physicians still work in secret trying to seek a cure to this dreaded disease. Seeking a cure would be an excellent story-line for a Physician.

Bazi plague is a deadly, rapidly spreading disease with no known cure. Its symptoms include pustules all over the body and a yellowing of the whites of the eyes. Gieron and Sajel are two drugs that can reproduce the effects of this disease. The pox is transmitted by lice. Some people are immune to it and for some it is only a temporary problem. Others die swiftly. Slaves that get the pox are usually killed.

Dental work on Gor is rarely done or needed. Cavities are rare because of the simple diet of Goreans. The mouths of slave girls are often checked by a buyer or slaver to see if she has fillings or not. That is normally a sign that the girl is from Earth due to the rarity of dental work on Gor.

Physicians have machines to examine blood, urine, tissue samples, hair and other samples. They have a machine like a microscope. Many of their tests and instruments are similar to Earth doctors. Physicians have numerous drugs available which they administer through hypodermics. Though some online feel that Gorean physicians use herbs and such, they actually use drug injections. Many of those drugs are derived from plants and such but it is rare for those plants and herbs to be applied directly to a patient.

And as Earth doctors use Latin often, Gorean ones keep their records in archaic Gor.

You must remember that we are talking about the Physician's Caste that exists in the civilized cities. In some of the more barbaric areas of Gor, such as the Barrens, the Plains of Turia and the jungles near Schendi, the Caste does not exist. In those area, their medicine is much more primitive. They do not possess medical machines or advanced drugs. They rely more heavily on natural cures, using herbs and plants. The Physician's Caste though would not use such plants directly. They would create drugs from them to give by injection.

Physicians have designed a few drugs that are commonly used by slavers. Capture scent is like chloroform. It is a liquid that is soaked into a rag and held over the nose and mouth. It will render a woman unconscious in about five Ihn. Anesthetic darts may sometimes be used though they take about forty Ihn to work. Tassa powder is a reddish powder that can render one unconscious. It is tasteless and meant to be mixed with red wine as it would show up in water.

Slave wine is a Gorean contraceptive, and much more effective than any Earth one. In liquid form, women drink it and are protected against conception. It is intentionally bitter when given to slaves though for free women it may be sweetened. The active ingredient in slave wine is sip root. In its raw form, sip root can also be chewed and used as a contraceptive. In this form, its effects will last for three to four moons. The Red Savages in the Barrens use sip root in its raw form. In its concentrated liquid for, the effects of slave wine now last indefinitely. This was not always the case. In the beginning of the Gor series, slave wine only lasted a month or so. But, medicine has advanced during the series and its effects are now indefinite. Despite this fact, many masters still administer slave wine to their kajirae once or twice a year. This is done out of tradition and to remind girls of their slavery. Its effects can be nullified by a releaser, an antidote called breeding or second wine. This is a smooth and sweet drink. Its active ingredient is a derivative of the teslik plant.

The zenith of Gorean medicine has to be the stabilization serums. This serum is a life extending treatment. It was developed some five hundred years ago by the physician's caste. Its effect is an eventual, gradual transformation of certain genetic structures, resulting in indefinite cell replacement without pattern deterioration. It is given in a series of four shots. It affects all people differently and on some rare occasions doesn't work. In some rare people, it wears off after only a few hundred years and sometimes it even hastens aging. It is also capable of being transmitted to offspring. Goreans consider it the right of all people, free and slave, to have the serums. They do not deny the serums to anyone. The Priest-Kings do have better serums.

A common function for Physicians is to tend to wounded warriors. Physicians clean, chemically sterilize and dress wounds. Stitches and sutures are likely to be common. Though casts are never mentioned in the books, it seems that they would also exist. Casts are easy to make. Surgery is performed by Physicians though advanced computer monitoring is not available to them. For most purposes, Physicians on Gor would treat wounds like any doctor from Earth.

Physicians rarely encounter other problems that are common to Earth. Heart attacks and cholesterol problems would be very rare. Frequent exercise and low fat diets would help prevent this. Without the massive technology and pollutants of Earth, many forms of cancer would also be rare.

Psychiatrists and psychologists may not exist on Gor as most people seem quite content with their lot in life. They freely accept the Caste system and the institution of slavery. Most Goreans are very well adjusted. Overall, Goreans lead healthier lives than Earth people.