Changelings: A Summary

by HypernovaBolts11

Medicine

Changelings use very basic and early medical treatments for wounds, and some unusual cures for diseases. In some ways, the changeling medical world is decades behind that of ponies, but has a few things I think we could stand to learn from.

Burns are treated with aloe, bandages are made from changeling silk and old cobwebs, and cactus needles can be used in acupuncture. This is all very primitive when compared to the advanced medical research that goes into pony medicine. We have big laboratories and plenty of innovative people coming up with new treatments every day.

Changelings don't have formalized doctors, medical facilities, standard practices. They don't have vaccines, they don't have giant machines to test millions of drugs at a time, and they don't have fully sanitized spaces for medical procedures.

The more interesting aspects of changeling medicine is in their use and sources of antibiotics. Some workers are tasked with a special role, which takes place in a specially designed section of the hive, known as the garden, where the changelings care for and harvest parts of certain fungi, which is then chewed and applied to open wounds, preventing infection.

Changelings have been coevolving with these fungal species for thousands of years, and have a distinct knowledge of how to care for each kind of fungus. Some are grown alongside ant colonies, so that the ants can assist the changelings in caring for the fungus. The ants get something to process their food of leaves and honeydew, while the changelings get medicine.

Changelings have been using antibiotics for thousands of years, and we only even realize that they existed in the last century.

Some infiltrators can take up a second career as a physician, counseling the prisoners and nobility about seeking medical treatment. Though, this job is mostly taken up by the task of measuring and briefing new prisoners on the life ahead of them.

The ants I mentioned before can also be used as a treatment for pegasus mites, like how some birds will sit on an ants' nest and let the insects kill off the parasites. Though the prisoner is usually hesitant at first, my associate tells me that he has seen several prisoners enjoying this process.

That being said, most of the changelings who never leave the hive live relatively short lives when compared to those who do, which makes sense. The fewer changelings in any given area, the lower the odds are of one individual getting a disease, and when one is disguised, they rarely contract any changeling specific illnesses, though they do become susceptible to the diseases which haunt their species of choice.

Comments

[HypernovaBolts11]

7483065 Thanks.

[HypernovaBolts11]

7483137 Thou hath my eyeballs glued to thy user page.
You're going to become a very good marketing person someday.

[CoffeeBean]

I await for more additions to this little document, So many neat things!

[Diamond Sparkle]

You have very original changelings.