Knowledge (apothecary)
Synonyms: Apothecary, Herbalist, Pharmaceutics, Poison, Antidotes,
Description
From Hippocrates' treaties to Socrates' hemlock, to Mitridate; from Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati to Hildegard of Bingen, to Romeo and Juliet; the medieval world inherited an extensive knowledge of substances that can affect humans, both as dangers and helps. Some of it academic knowledge, some of it empirical or oral tradition transmitted word of mouth or from mothers to daughters since the dawn of time. In the middle ages, the apothecaries are open to the public and anyone can purchase medicinal substances from them. But most remedies can be used to kill, too, and poisoning became a fairly common technique of assassination. In parallel, antidotes started to become more and more well known. However, all of these knowledges varied widely from one specialist to another. Additionally evaluating how concentrated in active ingredient a given product or a direct extract was, required a lot of experience.
Pharmaceutics is mainly used for healing, but can also help with lots of other things: soporifics, sedatives, stimulants of all sorts, even contraceptives. And although anaesthesia wasn't invented yet, some substances existed to help deal with the pain.
The whole discipline was also heavily shrouded in religious of magical thinking, sometimes bordering on black magic: A few drops of belladonna dilates the pupils, making women more attractive to the opposite sex -a love potion-; unguent are made using animal fat, but using human fat makes them more efficient; mandrakes, toad mucus, mushrooms... all of these can help with the mood, sometimes even the soul.
The character has an encyclopedic knowledge of the substances of plant, mineral or animal origins, able to affect living bodies. Which ones exists, how to recognise the symptoms of their use and how to use them in all sorts of ways, including poisons and counter-poisons.
nb: Poisoning being very common, it isn't necessarily a much more inconspicuous way to kill than.. say.. an axe in the head.
The character isn't a medical doctor, can't help much with broken bones or aching teeths, but can certainly assist for healing (roll a die six).
