Medicine

Medicine in Thedas plays a key role in the quality of life of its inhabitants, and is vital in a land so torn by conflict. The magical and the mundane both play a role in the healing and management of diseases and injuries. Common people can access care through the Chantry, or one of the Circles of Magi. Local chantries provide care for the sick, and members of the clergy may travel to troubled areas in order to provide free relief in the name of charity. There are also independent herbalists, apostatesSee Anders's Clinic and midwivesCodex entry: A Midwife's JournalConversing with the Anchoress who practice the healing arts and provide their services to the common folk. 
With such limited means of care, people of Thedas therefore learn to make do with the healing fauna and flora that they can find around them.
== Treatment ==
=== Mundane ===
Some Thedosian medical practitioners of the day believe in Humorism.Dialogue with Skyhold's Surgeon. Essentially, this theory holds that the mortal body is filled with four basic substances, called humors, which are in balance when a person is healthy. All diseases and disabilities supposedly result from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. These deficits were thought to be caused by vapors inhaled or absorbed by the body. The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Treatments from this school of thought are bloodletting and the application of leeches. The bile of Gurgut is thought to balance the humors. The Qunari employ breathing exercises to "clear the stale humors".Party banter between Iron Bull and Varric. Those practicing medicine are also aware of and perform the amputation of limbs.
Superstition also plays a large part in Thedosian's attitudes towards healing, such as how the removal of a wart requires rubbing the half of a potato on it and feeding the potato to a snoufleur, which should take the wart upon itself. Another example of this is in a treatment meant for improving virility, after drinking a tonic from tusket horn the patient is supposed to place the remnants under their pillow. Another superstition to prevent a mage child includes avoiding conceiving in winter, sleeping with dried embrium under one's pillow during pregnancy to ensure good health, and even placing leeches on a child's limbs or drowning them to the brink of death to prevent the manifestation of magic.Codex entry: Superstitions However, some are critical of these non-magical methods, such as Lirene, who comments on her distrust of purveyors of "hensbane and leeches".Tranquility
=== Magical ===
Mages within the Circle of Magi may choose to specialize in the Creation school of magic. When using Creation magic, a healer is manipulating natural forces to imbue the recipient with restorative energy that is capable of knitting flesh and mending bone. The caster of a Creation spell can also infuse their recipient with beneficial energy that greatly accelerates healing.Creation spells (Origins) However, this power is limited and cannot fully heal serious injuries.Dragon Age: The Calling mentions the limitations of Fiona's magic. Some mages are able to heighten their healing powers beyond the limitations of normal magic by becoming Spirit healers, by casting restoration spells and using the life energy acquired from channeling benevolent spirits of the Fade. With the help of spirits,Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Three Trees to Midnight. Myrion says that his friend Jasecca, who worked with spirits, once reattached the hand of a man after it had been chopped off. It is important to note that magic cannot be used to regrow missing limbs or raise the dead.Patrick Weekes. https://bsky.app/profile/trickweekes.bsky.social/post/3kpb3bezpdn23 . Bluesky.
Combinations of herbs made into potions, especially elfroot, are also used. Mages within the Circle of Magi study alchemy to invent new potions and improve upon ones that already exist. It is unclear whether one needs to be a mage to brew potions or not. 
A holy artifact to Andrastians is The Urn of Sacred Ashes. The Urn is believed to contain Andraste's ashes which have healing properties strong enough to bring someone back from the brink of death.
=== Medicinal substances ===
Many substances of varying effectiveness are used in creating remedies. They're usually derived from plants, animals, and minerals.
* Andraste's Mantle – together with Drakevein and Winterberry makes an antidote to wyvern's venomIngredients of The Master's Salve.
* Crystal Grace – is said to have medicinal value,Codex entry: Crystal Grace though its specific properties are unknown
* Elfroot – primary ingredient of healing salves,According to the description of Elfroot (Origins). as well as a remedy for minor ailments such as indigestion, flatulence, and hoarse throatCodex entry: Elfroot
* Embrium – fragrance of the Salubrious Embrium variety eases a person's breathingCodex entry: Embrium
* Foxmint – used in alleviating gut troubles
* Prophet's Laurel – has purifying qualities and is used in crafting poultices and tincturesCodex entry: Prophet's Laurel
* Spindleweed – helps with afflictions of the lungs and feverCodex entry: Gardner Diary
* Witherstalk – when the plant is fresh, it can serve as a contraceptiveCodex entry: Witherstalk
== Diseases and illnesses ==
* Ague – fever and shivering
* Asala-taar – "soul sickness;" a Qunari combat ailment that seems analogous to a combat stress reaction, or even post-traumatic stress disorder; it is an epidemic in Seheron, where statistically two soldiers contract it for every one casualty; sufferers are usually removed from combat and reassigned among the priesthood and workers
* Bellows coughFairbanks pretends Hira has this disease when they're trying to enter Nessum in Dragon Age: Absolution, episode 1.
* Black-lungBased on discussion with Loilinar Ivo
* Blight sickness – also known as "a wasting illness";Dragon Age: The Calling, Chapter 2, p. 47, Paperback copy contracted through contact with darkspawn, and progresses to the person becoming a Ghoul, though this time varies for everyone; some people die immediately upon contact with the Taint and some, such as Leliana, are naturally resistantNote: Studies on the Blight; The more contagious form of this disease is often referred to as "a plague"Dragon Age: The Calling, pp. 31, 88, 140, and 242 and can be spread by Blight-touched ratsCodex entry: Rat it is also known to wipe out entire species of animalsDragon Age: Last Flight
* Bone-sicknessSecond paragraph of Codex entry: Healer's Notes at Redcliffe Crossroads
* CancerWhile there are no mentions to the disease itself, the fact that it's used as an expression by Justice, Morrigan, and Meredith may indicate that the disease exists as well.Referenced as a descriptor in Dragon Age: The Calling, Chapter 6, p. 143.
* Cholera – also known as "blue death"Sickness at the WellCodex entry: The Friends of Red Jenny, The scattered notes of Bann Markal
* Common coldMentioned when Acquire Ser Nancine's sword
* DementiaLyriumTemplar Order
* Falling sickness – an archaic term for epilepsyThe Latest Fad
* Frost-coughFourth paragraph of Codex entry: Healer's Notes at Redcliffe Crossroads
* Gout
* Hundred Days Cough – an outbreak of this disease in 8:77 Blessed killed the twin sons of Emperor Judicael II of Orlais as well as his nieceCodex entry: Emperor Florian
* Hunger shiversFifth paragraph of Codex entry: Healer's Notes at Redcliffe Crossroads
* Lyrium withdrawalCodex entry: Confessions of a Lyrium AddictDragon Age: Inquisition shows Cullen going through withdrawals.
* Miser's madness – lead poisoning caused by practicing the "travelers' bend", or hiding bent coins underneath the tongue or against the palate, with Hunter Fell currency struck from lead
* Pox – presumably a sexually-transmitted infectionAveline calls Isabela a poxy tart; the "pox" is an ancient term for diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea
* Plague – the first symptom of one plague is coughing and paleness, with fever following the next dayCodex entry: Gardner Diary doors of the afflicted are marked with a yellow symbolDragon Age: The Last Court, see The Fields
* Rossalia – also known as scarlet feverhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333430/#:~:text=According%20to%20Rolleston%20(Rolleston%2C%201928,small%2C%20fiery%20and%20red%2C%20ofLady Mantillon mentions her third husband Pierre was killed by this disease during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts.
* ScurvyBanter between Aveline and Isabela.Said by Jan when describing her former captain.
* SeasicknessCodex entry: In the Mists: Phantoms Out of DreamsBanter between Merrill and Isabela.Location comment by Dorian in the Storm Coast.
* Sexual dysfunctionLetter: Feeling Inadequate?
* Syphilis – colloquially known as deceiving-pox or the prince-in-greenCase: the Elusive Iconoclast
* Wasting diseaseCodex entry: Responsible Blood Magic or Wasting illness,See Rowan and Felix Alexius. also known as the wastingAs stated by Aveline during The Captain's Condolences.
* Water sickness – a disease that may affect wolves (and other animals, presumably), prompting the Dalish to shoot down the affected specimens on sightDragon Age: The Masked Empire, Chapter 11, p. 221, Paperback copy
== Trivia ==
* Pickled eggs are thought of as a sort of cure-all by the people of Ferelden.
* To cure a cold, a folk remedy says to boil whiskey, juice half a lemon, and used peeled and crushed garlic. Supposedly Grey Wardens swear by this method.
* Books on medicine and diseases include Olianna's Physick and Polyosteres' Calamities of the Flesh.The Dowager's Decline
== See also ==
* Herbalism Recipes
== Gallery ==
Haven apothecary.jpg|Haven's apothecary
Apoth.jpg|Inside Haven's apothecary
== References ==
Category:Lore