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Bazi Plague
Bazi Plague is a deadly, rapidly spreading disease with no known cure, though it may be true that an immunization could be formally developed.
Bazi plague resembles a pox.. much like the Black Plague. Its symptoms include black blister like pustules which appear and erupt all over the body, a yellowing of the whites of the eyes, a tremendously irritating rash that causes extreme itchiness and burning of the skin, fever, nausea, dizziness and difficulty breathing.
"I with the crew members submitted to the examination of the Physician. He did little more than look into our eyes and examine our forearms. But our eyes were not yellowed nor was there sign of the broken pustules in our flesh."
Explorers of Gor pg 118
"The girl looked at the Physician with horror, tears in her eyes. But he completed her examination, looking into her eyes and examining the interior of her thighs her belly and the interior of her forearms, for marks."
Explorers of Gor pg 120
It is highly contagious and can shut down entire cities for the length of time it takes the disease to burn out. This can have devastating effects on the economy of that city. It is transmitted by lice, which are prolific on tarns and other beasts of Gor, thus, long after Bazi has run its course in an area, any animals from that area infected can transport it once travel is opened.
"We are going to test you for pox," he said. The girl groaned. It was my hope that none on board the Clouds of Telnus had carried the pox. It is transmitted by the bites of lice."
Explorers of Gor pg 134
"The Physician would check the health of the crew and slaves, Plague some years ago had broken out in Bazi, to the North, which port had been closed by the merchants for two years. In some eighteen months it had burned itself out, moving south and eastward. Bazi had not yet recovered from the economic blow."
Explorers of Gor pg 117
The death rate is not specific in the books... however we do know that like chicken pox or small pox, there are those that suffer lethal effects, dying pretty quickly, others seem to only suffer temporary effects and others appear immune and not catch it at all. Therefore, I feel that a vaccine could be developed.. presumably, those that do not die would carry some sort of antibody that could be used in researching a vaccine.
"Oddly enough some were immune to the pox, and with others it had only a temporary, debilitating effect. With others it was swift, lethal and horrifying. Those who had survived the pox would presumably live to procreate themselves, on the whole presumably transmitting their immunity to their offspring."
Explorers of Gor pg 134
One interesting note, is that the devastating outbreak in Bazi that shut the city down for two years.. it is felt that it was contained in part, due to the fact that any slaves who contracted the disease were slaughtered. It then became a means of control against the disease.
"The pox had appeared in Bazi some four years ago. The port had been closed for two years by the merchants. It had burned itself out moving south and eastward in some eighteen months. Oddly enough some were immune to the pox, and with others it had only a temporary, debilitating effect. With others it was swift, lethal and horrifying. Those who had survived the pox would presumably live to procreate themselves, on the whole presumably transmitting their immunity to their offspring. Slaves who contracted the pox were often summarily slain. It was thought that the slaughter of slaves had had its role to play in the containment of the pox in the vicinity of Bazi." ..."She, as a slave knows that if she should contract the disease she would in all probability be summarily slain."
Explorers of Gor pg 134
Another thought is that because it is so contagious, it serves to mind that anyone thought to have the disease is pretty much going to be left alone and given a wide berth. It might prove valuable at times to "appear" to have this disease and it was discovered that two drugs, when combined and taken, would produce a false positive of the disease.
Sajel, a postulant and Gieron, an allergen, when mixed together in a drink, will cause these symptons, enough to fool the untrained eye. A healer can differentiate between the real thing and the induced symptoms upon examination.
"It is the plague!" she cried. "It is the Plague!" I walked over to a mirror. I ran my tongue over my lips they seemed dry. The whites of my eyes clearly were yellow. I rolled up the sleeve of my tunic and saw there on the flesh of the forearm like black blisters open, erupted, a scattering of pustules."
Explorers of Gor pg 135
"I simply did not feel ill. I was slightly drunk and heated from the paga, but I did not believe myself fevered. My pulse and heartbeat, and respiration, seemed normal. I did not have difficulty catching my breath. I was neither dizzy nor nauseous, and my vision was clear. My worst physical symptoms were the irritation about my eyes and the genuinely nasty itchiness of my skin. I felt like tearing it off with my own fingernails."
Explorers of Gor pg 136
The usual benefit of inducing the symptoms of Bazi plague was to avoid capture or escape unfollowed. It is harmless, however, and will wear off after a bit of time, though there is no record of exactly how long.
"My pursuit of you was foiled," I said, "by the results of the drug you placed in my paga."
"The drug," said Shaba, "was a simple combination of sajel, a simple pustulant, and gieron, an unusual allergen. Mixed they produce a facsimile of the superficial symptoms of Bazi plague."
"I could have been killed," I said, "by the mob." "I did not think many would care to approach you," said Shaba.
"It was not your intention then that I be killed?" I asked.
"Certainly not," said Shaba. "if that was all that was desired, kanda might have been introduced into your drink as easily as sajel and gieron."
Explorers of Gor pg 136
Since at this point there is no known cure or vaccine for Bazi Plague, the care of the patient would be to ease the symptoms, perhaps through the use of wheat germ oil or baking soda in the bath or sponge water.
Darkosis
Dar-Kosis is a highly contagious disease, of the very few diseases that remain on the planet, that erodes the human form and is, at this point, incurable. It is characterized by cutaneous lesions, peripheral neurological damage and is progressively debilitating. Neurological damage is manifested by sensory loss in the skin and weakness of muscles.
The organism thought to cause Dar Kosis has not yet been isolated. It is regarded by some, mostly those of the caste of Initiates, to be an instrument of punishment by the Priest Kings themselves. Thus, it is often referred to as the "Holy Disease" or the "Sacred Affliction and most associated with the Terran Disease of leprosy on Earth.
"At any rate disease is now almost unknown among the gorean cities, with the exception of the dreaded Dar-Kosis disease or the holy disease, research upon which is generally frowned upon by the caste of initiates who insist the disease is a visitation of the displeasure of the Priest Kings on its recipients."
Assassins of Gor, pg 30
Tarl Cabot records in his very first chronicle, his sighting of a man afflicted with Dar-Kosis as he watched a larl stalk its prey.
"Suddenly to my horror, I saw the quarry of the larl, It was a human being, moving with surprising alacrity over the rough ground. To my astonishment, I saw it wore the yellow serments of the sufferer of Dar Kosis, that virulent, incurable, wasting disease of Gor."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg 150
"He was now bent and crooked, like a broken blasted shrub in his yellow shroudlike robe. The hood concealed his face. ...Pointing to its shadowed concealed face it whispered, "The Holy Disease." That was the literal translation of Dar Kosis - the Holy Disease or equivalent the Sacred Affliction.
Tarnsman of Gor, pg 150
"I was glad that it was night and that the hood of the man was drawn, for I had no desire to look on what pieces of flesh might still cling to his skull."
Tarnsman of Gor pg 151
Great measures are taken to keep the inflicted from entering within the general population of Gorean cities and other places that may bring a healthy being in contact with infection. Some find it easier to exist with whatever time they have left to live, by entering into what is known as Dar Kosis pits, where they are assured of food and drink and safe from the panic of attack by those who feel they may be wandering too close for comfort to healthy populations.
"Accordingly it is regarded as heresy to shed their blood. On the other hand, the Afflicted, as they are called, have little to fear from their fellow men. Their disease is so highly contagious, so invariably devastating in its effects, and so feared on the planet that even the boldest of outlaws gives them a wide berth. Accordingly, the afflicted enjoy a large amount of freedom of movement on Gor. They are of course, warned to stay away from the habitations of men, and if they approach too closely, they are sometimes stoned. Oddly enough, casuistically, stoning the Afflicted is not regarded as a violation of the Priest Kings supposed injunction
against shedding their blood. As an act of charity, Initiates have arranged at various places Dar Kosis pits where the Afflicted may voluntarily imprison themselves to be fed with food hurled downward from the backs of passing tarns. Once in a Dar Kosis pit the Afflicted are not allowed to depart."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg 150
Tarl Cabot records a conversation with the physician, Flaminius, wherein the disease is described and the measures against those infected are outlined.
"At one time," he said, "centuries ago men of my Caste claimed age was incurable. Others did not accept this and continued to work. The result was the Stabilization Serums. Dar Kosis or the Holy Disease or Sacred Affliction is a virulent wasting disease of Gor. Those afflicted with it commonly spoken of simply as the afflicted ones may not enter into normal society They wander the country side in shroudlike yellow rags beating a wooden clapping device to warn men from their path; some of them volunteer to be placed in Dar Kosis pits several of which are in the vicinity of Ar, where they are fed and given drink, and are of course isolated; the disease is extremely contagious. Those who contract the disease are regarded by law as dead."
Assassin of Gor pg 265-266
While it is commonly accepted that the Caste of Initiates, who are the religious leaders of Gor and most instrumental in seeing to the adherence of what the Priest Kings will or will not allow on Gor, do not support the research for a cure, there are those, such as the caste of Physicians, that hold little regard for such matters, especially when it concerns the health of their fellow citizens.
"Dar-Kosis," I said, "is regarded as an instrument of Priest Kings, used to smite those who displease them."
"Another myth of Initiates," said Flaminius unpleasantly.
"But how do you know that"? I queried.
"I do not care," said Flaminius, "if it is true or not. I am a Physician."
Assassin of Gor pg 266
Not only did Flaminius not care, he admitted his attempts at researching the disease in hopes of finding a cure. He and others spent many hours aside, experimenting and recording the results of their research. The Cylinder of Initiates call for an end to it once it was made known to them, but the physicians stood fast and the Initiates took measures to halt the research. Sadly, the results up to that time were also lost in the destruction.
"No." said Flaminius, smiling. "No," he took another swallow, "I thought to find," he said, "an immunization against Dar Kosis. I and others worked secretly in the Cylinder of Physicians. We devoted our time, those ahn in the day in which we could work to study, research and experiment. Unfortunately, for spite and for gold, word of our work was brought the High Initiate, by a minor Physician discharged from our staff for incompetence. The Cylinder of Initiates demanded that the High Council of the Caste of Physicians put an end to our work, not only that it be discontinued but that our results to that date be destroyed. The Physicians, I am pleased to say stood with us. There is little love lost between Physicians and Initiates. Before the next passage hand, he said, armed men broke into the Cylinder of Physicians; the floors we worked on were burned; the Cylinder itself was seriously damaged; our work our records, the animals we used were all destroyed; several of my staff were slain, others driven away."
"I had, he said shortly before the fire developed a strain of urts resistant to the Dar Kosis organism; a serum cultured from their blood was injected in other animals, which subsequently we were unable to infect. It was tentative, only a beginning, but I had hoped, I had hoped very much."
Assassin of Gor pg 267
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OPINION:
Before diagnosing Dar Kosis, it is necessary to rule out blastomycosis or other fungal infections of the skin that can be treated. This can be done through performing a skin lesion aspiration or a skin lesion biopsy, both procedures outlined below.
Skin Lesion Asperation:
A needle is inserted into a skin lesion or skin abscess, which may contain
fluid or pus. If the abscess is deep, a local anesthetic may be injected into the skin to numb the area. There will be a pricking sensation as the needle enters the skin.
The fluid is examined under the microscope and placed in culture media to observe for the growth of microorganisms. The presence of known organisms and their resulting infection should be treated as called for.
Skin lesion biopsy
The removal of a small piece of the skin that will be sent to the laboratory for microscopic examination.
There are 3 methods for obtaining the skin sample. The test is usually done at the physician's office. In a shave biopsy, the outer part of the suspect skin area is removed. A local anesthetic is injected. Then a sharp scalpel is used to cut off any growth protruding from the normal skin.
In a punch biopsy, a small cylinder of skin is removed. A local anesthetic is injected. The skin around the biopsy site is pulled tight and a punch (a hollow instrument) is firmly introduced into the skin and rotated to obtain a sample; then the punch is removed. If a large sample is taken, the area may be closed with stitches.
In an excision biopsy, the entire suspect area is removed. A local anesthetic is injected. Then the entire lump, spot, or sore is removed, going as deep as necessary to get the entire area. The incision is then closed with stitches. Bleeding is controlled by pressure. If a large area is biopsied, a skin graft may be used to cover it. There is a brief prick and sting as the anesthetic is injected. Afterward, the area may be tender. Care should be taken to thoroughly clean the area to prevent further infection, especially if Dar Kosis is ruled out.
Once all other forms of fungal infection has been ruled out, the patient should be isolated from further human contact.
Until such time as research again comes to light concerning this most grievous disease, it is well cautioned to maintain strict and complete isolation of any persons diagnosed with Dar Kosis.
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