Medieval first aid name?

[cupbearer]

Originally Posted by Rolando

Mending, Injure Tending, Wound Treating, Wound Dressing, Barber, Suture...

But for game purposes you will be better just calling the skill first aid and use the various idioms for roleplaying.

Cool. Those sound good

[cupbearer]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'd guess they'd call it "wound dressing"

Yeah , perhaps you’re right

[David Johnston2]

There was no formal training in first aid as a separate level of medicine and therefore no name for it as opposed to other levels of medical care. If you applied a poultice, that was herblore. If you just cleaned and stitched up the wound that was surgery, usually carried out by a barber. Most of the medical care that actually worked was little more than first aid anyway.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

There was no formal training in first aid as a separate level of medicine and therefore no name for it as opposed to other levels of medical care. If you applied a poultice, that was herblore. If you just cleaned and stitched up the wound that was surgery, usually carried out by a barber. Most of the medical care that actually worked was little more than first aid anyway.

That's a bit harsh, at least outside of Western Europe.

But yeah, the entire [concept] of First Aid is modern, it simply doesn't exist until roughly the 18th century (and isn't called first aid until 1878). If you need a GURPS skill for it before then, it's the "default" to Physician-0 (or perhaps Surgery-0, which is what I increasingly believe it [should] default to).

Periodically in history some army or other will come up with the revolutionary idea of actually treating injured troops, and may even train some people to do it who aren't properly educated to be called doctors ("physician" [is] a period appropriate term for that, though I suspect in English anyway it's as likely to be phrased as "mininstering" to the sick or injured) but it usually doesn't last.

[cupbearer]

Originally Posted by malloyd

That's a bit harsh, at least outside of Western Europe.

But yeah, the entire [concept] of First Aid is modern, it simply doesn't exist until roughly the 18th century (and isn't called first aid until 1878). If you need a GURPS skill for it before then, it's the "default" to Physician-0 (or perhaps Surgery-0, which is what I increasingly believe it [should] default to).

Periodically in history some army or other will come up with the revolutionary idea of actually treating injured troops, and may even train some people to do it who aren't properly educated to be called doctors ("physician" [is] a period appropriate term for that, though I suspect in English anyway it's as likely to be phrased as "mininstering" to the sick or injured) but it usually doesn't last.

What was it called before 1878?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by cupbearer

What was it called before 1878?

When originally proposed? It was called "pre-medical treatment". But that's was like in the 1850s.

[The Colonel]

We have pre-medieval first aid cited as though it needed no special explanation:

When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.

LUK10:34

and performed by someone not described as being a professional of any kind. Presumably a basic understanding of wound care existed in the medieval period as well - especially given the number of people who lived nowhere near a barber-surgeon or anyone else with medical training.

Also, for RPG purposes, I notice that fantasy characters are often seen sewing up their own or each other's wounds ... whether this would mean they have a point or two in surgeon, or whether it's primitive first aid at work...

How does "succour" sound (to be fair, wound dressing is probably better).

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Also, for RPG purposes, I notice that fantasy characters are often seen sewing up their own or each other's wounds ... whether this would mean they have a point or two in surgeon, or whether it's primitive first aid at work...

There's far more to Surgery than just suturing wounds. Closing wounds by various means is nothing more than advanced First Aid; the sort of training that a combat medic has rather than skills taught in Boy Scout or Red Cross Basic First Aid training.

Originally Posted by The Colonel

How does "succour" sound (to be fair, wound dressing is probably better).

GM's choice, but based on the quote from the Book of Luke "wound-binding" might also be an option.

At least for medieval Europe, the rather fossilized Galenic medicine practiced by Physicians was probably closer to GURPS Esoteric Medicine by the end of the period, with a fair bit of Diagnosis skill and a bit of Savoir-Faire, Psychology and Fast-Talk thrown in. "Hospitaler" or "Nursing" might be a better term for the practical sort of ongoing medical care GURPS describes.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

There's far more to Surgery than just suturing wounds. Closing wounds by various means is nothing more than advanced First Aid; the sort of training that a combat medic has rather than skills taught in Boy Scout or Red Cross Basic First Aid training.

That was my suspicion, but I was getting the feeling upthread that suturing would be considered surgery, which seemed a very modern view.

[cupbearer]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

We have pre-medieval first aid cited as though it needed no special explanation:

and performed by someone not described as being a professional of any kind. Presumably a basic understanding of wound care existed in the medieval period as well - especially given the number of people who lived nowhere near a barber-surgeon or anyone else with medical training.

Also, for RPG purposes, I notice that fantasy characters are often seen sewing up their own or each other's wounds ... whether this would mean they have a point or two in surgeon, or whether it's primitive first aid at work...

How does "succour" sound (to be fair, wound dressing is probably better).

Succor is the best yet ! Noice!