Medical Magic

From Harry Potter Wiki

The Medical Magic is one branch of Magic that helps to cure and treat magical injuries and diseases. Wizard medicine is well ahead of its Muggle counterpart. While Muggle medicine largely attempts to stimulate the body's own healing and defence systems, magic can simply impose well-being. Healing is not as simple as ordinary spells, but should be able to cure minor injuries in a negligible amount of time and just about every other problem (even missing or boneless limbs) given somewhat longer. Conventional ailments, save from large-scale neurological damage, appear to be very easy to fix. Of course, a number of problems in a setting like this do not qualify under conventional ailments. Despite their advanced medical "technology", wizards apparently cannot use magic to cure minor inherent conditions such as myopia.

Wizards had a cure for the common cold for years: it is known as Pepperup Potion and is characterised by the patient emitting steam from their ears.

Wizards do not appear to make use of vaccinations, however: a common cause of death appears to be Dragon pox.

Wizard doctors are known as Healers and Mediwizards. While Madam Poppy Pomfrey runs a Hospital wing at Hogwarts, the central establishment, in England, for this purpose is the St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Various magical diseases, such as "Dragon pox", "Spattergroit" and "Vanishing Sickness," are treated in St Mungo's. Wizards tend to view Muggle medicine as primitive and barbaric.

[edit] Medical Procedures and Spells

[edit] Chocolate

Chocolate has special properties. Not only does it make a wonderful treat, but it also serves as a particularly powerful antidote for the chilling effect produced by contact with Dementors and other particularly nasty forms of Dark Magic.

[edit] Potions

Unknown potions that helped Hermione lose the cat features in 1992.
Skele-Gro Potion.
Pepperup Potion.
Unknown wound-cleaning potion.
Unknown burn-healing paste.
Unknown potions that healed Neville's broken wrist in about a minute in 1991.
Mandrake Restorative Draught.
Bubotuber pus; when used correctly, makes an excellent cure for stubborn forms of acne.
Blood-Replenishing Potion.
Unknown purple Sleeping Potion.
Strained and pickled Murtlap Tentacles.
Calming Draught.
Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction; given to Ron Weasley by Madam Poppy Pomfrey to cure bad thoughts and memories from the battle of the Department of Mysteries.
Poison Antidotes.
Wiggenweld Potion.
Antidote to Common Poisons.

[edit] Diseases and Injuries

Dragon bite (turned green and swelled)
Dragon pox (is contagious, but even after a patient is past that stage he or she will have greenish and pockmarked skin)
- Gunhilda Kneen had to sit out a Quidditch Match due to a case of Dragon Pox in the 1100s
- Chauncey Oldridge is credited with being the first known victim of Dragon Pox, but this was in the 1300s
- Gunhilda of Gorsemoor, the famous healer, developed a cure for Dragon Pox in the late 1500s/early 1600s; dragon pox is treated on the second floor of St. Mungo's.
Broken bones
- Broken ankle
- Broken arm
- Broken leg
- Broken nose
- Broken ribs
- Broken skull
- Broken wrist
Scrofungulus, which is contagious
Vanishing Sickness, which is contagious
Werewolf bite - induces lycantrophy, an incurable condition but controllable with modern healing (Wolfsbane Potion)
Snakebite wound that won't close naturally
Spattergroit - a malady which causes a person to develop spots on their face. Possible cure: "[T]ake the liver of a toad, bind it tight about your throat, stand naked at the full moon in a barrel of eels' eyes..."
Small child who had sprouted huge feathery wings
Man who was wearing jinxed shoes which ate his feet
A man whose head rang like a bell whenever he moved his head
A woman whose head had been made into something like a "teapot" - she whistled and gave off steam, and her face was red and sweaty
People with strange things growing out of them, such as an elephant's trunk