[DL] A New Edge

["Stryfe Mac.com" <saintstryfe@mac.com>]

I really like this idea of meatball surgeon, but there's only one 
issue - it's not 100% historically accurate. The silly thing is the 
Civil War Doctor's surgical looked more like a toolbox - saws, hammers, 
pliers and separators. Amputation was common - anesthetics are usually 
hard Rum or Whiskey. But, it's still a good idea - and as medical 
improvements improve throughout the war, it makes sense. Meatball 
surgery is more attach to newer wars then older wars. But, Triage (which 
is, for those who don't know - the act of taking those 20 injured people 
and proritizing them - head wounds, chest wounds, abdominal injuries, 
and then more minor ones [sorry to anyone who actually KNOWS triage 
procedure, I don't know it. :-)]) Triage, that WAS very prevalent.

Here's a little new idea for you medically inclined Weird Western 
Warriors. Joseph Lister (who you may guess was found a company that made 
Listerine) treated a boy,  James Greenlies, who had a compound (broken 
skin) fracture, found that   a wound would would not be fatal if the 
bandages are soaked in phenol. This all happened in 1865. This was the 
beginning of Germ Theory.

To demonstrate a practice, I propose a 3 point edge, called Germ Theory, 
available to any person with at least a 1 in a Medicine aptitude (others 
could take it - but why?) Given avail of common antiseptic - alcohol or 
hydrogen peroxide - she can get a +2 on her medicine roles on open 
wounds (ones that bleed, so not wind damage). This reflects the fact 
there's less chance of infection causing farther damage. However, notice 
that this is VERY new - and most people didn't readily accept Germ 
Theory until the 20th Century. 1877, there's a general non-acceptance. A 
general person - especially one who is Superstitious or is apt to read a 
lot of Medical Journals (where the Germ theory is being debated, and one 
may get the idea it's bad) might not want it. In keeping w/ Hypocratic 
oath - if the  patient doesn't want it - you generally shouldn't use it. 
If the patient refuses - no +2.

My roommate offers an alternate - that a person with a wound treated by 
someone who knows Germ Theory and does treat that wound with Antiseptic 
will be able to heal quicker, and thus will be given natural healing 
roles every 3 days instead of every 5. (Note, my Roomie is not a 
Deadlands GM, just skimmed the rules, and probably doesn't understand 
how much +2 can mean. :-.)

In the near-future I am writing a set of rules on Infection - to 
represent what REALLY killed a lot of cowpokes back then. Either of 
these methods will give a bonus to help sort off the silent killers.

Hope to hear back what people think of this idea!

-Stryfe

On Monday, October 29, 2001, at 08:00  PM, Soothsprayer wrote:

>
> --- Nick Zachariasen <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu> wrote:
>>> including Meatball Surgery and Professional:
>> Triage.  This allowed the
>>
>> "Meatball Surgery"?  Could you explain this one?  It
>> sounds like somethign
>> I'd think up.
>>
>
> It's from MASH if I remember correctly, Basically
> doing what you can to stabilise the patient enough to
> either transfer them or delay the need for further
> surgery. When you've got 20 critical patients waiting
> to be seen you don't have time to do your best work on
> the first one.
>
> Hence "meatball surgery" where it's fast, messy,
> practical and that's about it.
>
> For example: You'd pull out the bullets, stop the
> bleeding as best as you're able, then sew them up.
> Someone else later on would do the finer
> reconstructive work.
>
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