Summer School - health and literature

[Tir - the teacher]

Health&Literature

Welcome back everyone.

Unfortunately, Hephaestus and Sitra have decided not to return to this class. But our pursue of knowledge is not done!

You've all done well in your answers. But please let me remind you that if I give you clues to answer, I expect them in your returned assignment. Only Breckin succeeded in all of this fully, which is why she scored highest (see below for scores).

Your next assignment:

Write a short (300 word min, 600 word max) paper on the assigned health subject. Include the following:
-Cause of the disease
-How could a wild horse contract it and how long would that take (immediately or is there an incubation period)
-What's the course of the disease
-How does one get better
-Explain the disease's name

-IMPORTANT; make this readable for me. That is why I added the literature compartment: I want a nice-flowing story, not a dry report. By any means necessary... I'm excited to see how you'll achieve this.

Due Monday July 30th, 23:59 board time.

@[Breckin] and @[Lucrezia]: Strangles

@[Pond] and @[Zain]: Pigeon Fever

Bonus question: What's the difference between a Paint and a Pinto horse? (in one sentence please)

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	Zain	Pond	Breckin	Lucrezia
Grammar, typo's, punctuation (10%)	3%*	10%	10%	10%
Word count (10%)	10%	10%	10%	10%
Style (essay in this case) (10%)	5%*	10%	10%	10%
Name(s) asked for (10%)	10%	10%	10%	10%
Kingdom(s) or place (brotherhood) mentioned (10%)	0%*	10%	10%	10%
BQ year estimate (10%)	10%	10%	10%	10%
Other things I asked for (subject-specific) (10%)	10%	10%	10%	10%
Describe the event like you were there at the time... (10%)	0%	0%	10%	0%
Personality included (10%)	10%	10%	10%	10%
Creativity&story of how you gained information (5%)	3%	2%	5%	2%
Bonus question** (5%)	5%	3%	5%	3%
Total (100%)	66%	85%	100%	85%

*I found two wrong types of punctuation, and one grammar mistake. (There's no such thing as "a women".)
I asked for an essay, not for you to tell me how obvious, stupid, or weak they were; put you got the point across.
The last effort to reinstate the Brotherhood (of the three I asked of you to describe) did not take place in the Tundra, and I'd asked you to find that out.

**The Mérens horse hails from the Pyrenees, which includes a small part of Spain. You could have known this from the sentence 'The Lusitano, Sorraia and Garrano are of Portuguese origin, and the remaining are of Spanish' OR from clicking the Mérens horse's breed name on the wikipedia page: "native to the Pyrenees and Ariégeois mountains of southern France, where the Ariège river flows, and northern Spain near Andorra. This is why the Pottoka also does not qualify as the answer - it's both French and Spanish. Technically, France is not part of the Iberian island; but due to the horse breed's spreading into Spain as well, it qualifies as Iberian.
Nota Bene: Linking to a page is not the same thing as answering a question. You're insinuating that I look up the answer there myself. As a teacher, I'm slightly appalled by this behaviour and would like to ask you not to do that again.

[Zain]

With his spiel completed and seat re-slumped into, he awaits his grading.  The teacher shuffle through stacks of papers, a shiny red-inked pen slashing across various places and then finally, he rises.  Handing each student their final grades on the last class.  One such student gasps and clutches the assignment with sheer joy across their face.  Turning it and presenting all to see her perfect score.  He grunts and quickly glances at his.  A shrug slides from his shoulders as he scribbles a note across the top, then folds it into a makeshift aircraft and sends it flying to Breckin's head, smacking her along the side.  He chuckles in amusement as she scowls at him and if she were to read the note scribed on the sheet it'd say, Teacher "Turds" pet

Once again the instructor is at the head of the class and issuing assignments.  This time it is a health subject and he gets to researching the various ways you can contract pigeon fever.  "Booooring," he mumbles under breath as he flips through pages and begins to transcribe his findings...

This is my short paper on the subject of Pigeon Fever.  

Though one would assume with a name such as Pigeon Fever that it is carried by birds, aka pigeons, it is actually transferred by biting insects which causes swelling of the pectoral muscles and creates a pigeon-like appearance.  The cause is Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, a resistant bacterium that causes an infection under the skin, and creates pussy abscesses.  It can present itself as lameness first and advance into an infection that can cause tissue and bone damage.  Mostly though it is non-life threatening with active treatment.  A vet will usually drain the wound and care given to cleaning of the wound, pain care, and the prevention of drainage entering the soil and infecting more horses. 

For added artsy flare he draws a fly then a half circle arrow to a horse, then another arrow to an infected wound and then back to the fly.  To show the course, of course.

He signs his name to the bottom and shuffles to the front of the class, handing it off to the Teacher.  Circling to retreat to his position of the group, his fiery gaze lands upon the speckled mare hurridley sifting through information.  He chuckles with the intent to catch her attention and if she were to glance at him, he'd shoot her a charming wink

Bonus question: Paint is a breed, Pinto is a color.

[Breckin]

Unobtrusively she stood amidst the collected with attentive interest, devouring the knowlege that was freely offered by her peers.  Shortly after she shared her re-telling of the assigned topic, another mare had risen to the forefront to divulge her information about the death of an ailing queen.  Even in spite of the bay stag's cursory demeanor, she'd even devoutly listented to what he had to say on his subject.  Whether the information was completely true or not, it didn't matter to her; absolute knowledge of the past was lost to the past, leaving only muddled, general interpretations of what had once been.  General knowledge was better than no knowledge at least.

When Tir recounts the evaluations of their assignments, there's nothing but a simple victorius joy that rises from within her.  Pride had already begun to swell at her recollection of the Amazons of the past, but now it seeped further and flourished to consume her.  Utter happiness must have been painfully obvious upon her expression, though she could not see it for herself.  Apparently she'd been smiling brilliantly, apparently she didn't hide the pride of her small victory well, and apparently someone in the class was not entirely thrilled with it.  The moment she felt something gently ricochet off the broad side of her face, the smile upon her lips instantly dissipated leaving a look of mild confusion in its wake.  Dark eyes drop to glance at the object before following the path that the projectile must've started from.  Scowling, she fluidly meets the gaze of Zain with narrowed eyes as he snickers in infantile delight. 

The sharpness of her tongue threatens to penetrate the tightly clenched teeth lining her jaw; the voice of the instructor dampens the spark that cries to be ignited there, and grudgingly she breaks her steely glare to look back to Tir.  It was a saving grace, she couldn't afford to lose focus now on petty antics while she was slightly ahead.  Well, she thinks to herself, drastically ahead of him anyway,  and a cheeky lopsided grin flickers at the edge of her mouth.

The smile widens with the acknowledgement of her latest assignment; she knew exactly what to do this time.

When Tir gives his dismissal, she wastes no time in setting her course for the vast expanse of the common lands of Beqanna.  Many equines travel to and fro the meadows and field on daily excursions for kingdom business, but the plains of the land are also the homelands of those choosing to not commit to structured hierarchies.  Upon one occasion in the speckled mare's travelling, she'd unfortunately misplaced a step, unknowingly bearing the bulk of her weight on her right front limb as it came down upon a sharp stone.  The pain had been excruciating, ultimately leaving her affected limb hot, tender and useless.  She'd tolerated the pain for a couple of days, until the opposite leg had become heated and painful from her awkward weight dispersion.  There'd been little she could have done that day, aside from retract herself from the openness of the plains, opting to lay upon the earth with her back pressed firmly against the trunk of a wide oak.

By some small miracle, her afternoon dozing at been interrupted by a gentle huffing againts her sensitive limbs.  Alarm had isntantly coursed through her, jolting her upright in a sudden panic at the unnoticed threat.  But the sound of a soothing voice entering her frazzled ears was enough cause to bar her ragged frenzy, as her eyes shifted to the interesting form of a petite mare standing nearby.  Her coat had been as purely white as Ilma's, only contrasted by her lack of wings and the vibrant red that composed the locks of her mane and tail.  But it was the other woman's eyes that had truly stilled the panic in Breckin's aching body; her eyes were the loveliest, molten brown that the spotted mare had.  They held a certain undisputable kindness in them that Breckin could not find the means to contest otherwise, even if she had wanted to.

The other mare offered no descript name, only stating that she was simply a Healer with no magical claims whatsoever and that simple natural remedies were readily available for the milldly afflicted.  Breckin couldn't say for certain why she'd inexplicably trusted this Healer, but with the other's gentle words of encouragement, she'd managed to lift herself to stand, following the white mare to a cold pool of water where she was instructed to soak her limbs.  After the shadows had grown longer, she'd been instructed to rub a certain plant along the length of her affected limbs, surprised at the tingling coolness the plant elicited upon her tender skin.  After a couple of days of the same routine and rest, Breckin had found with delight the degree of improvement she'd made with the help of the Healer.  And with a newfound appreciation of the earthy resources available, she'd thanked her newest friend and departed for home, with the intent of returning at a later time.

So today when Breckin entered the neutral territory of the common lands, she hurried to the spots that she knew the Healer rounded upon to offer her aid.  With burgeoning eagerness at the sight of the white and red mare coming into view, she hurried her pace until she embraced the Healer with a warm greeting, ready to pick her brain for any information she possessed about the ailment called Strangles.

_______________________________________


When she'd returned to class again, she wasn't entirely surprised that Zain had been the first to complete is assignment again.  She'd been mentally sorting through the information she now possessed when she notices his wink, but the only acknowledgement of his existance she offered was a simple eye roll, though she couldn't help the subtle smile that lingered a moment after.  

Her name is called, and she moves to the front again, evenly meeting the gaze of those gathered before softly clearing her throat..

For this assignment, I sought the help of a natural Healer residing in the common areas of Beqanna.  When we discussed that the topic of concern was Strangles, I could practically see her face darken.  Apparently, Strangles is a highly infectious and contagious disease that can affect any age of equine and once a horse is infected, it can take between 3-14 days to show effects after exposure.  The Healer offered the name of a bacteria named Streptococcus equi equi as the causative bacteria.  It is most likely to present itself first in the form of a high fever accompanied by fatigue and loss of appetite.  As the infection progresses, the area behind a horses jaw line will swell, and the area will become enlarged and painful.  Many a time, the horse has little choice but to stand with it's head outstretched to help relieve some of the pain inducing pressure upon the neck.  If the swelling becomes too severe a cough may present, or worse, a strangled sound due to pressure closing around the airway, which is the term Strangles arose from.  It is possible, that if there is enough pressure built upon the airway, it can completely restrict respirations, ultimately cause the horse to perish.  It is also likely, that as the pressure rises, that it will cause the glands in the neck to ultimately burst and drain pus-like fluid.  It is this exudate, along with possible nasal drainage, that hosts the invading organism believed to cause the infection in horses.  Any contact with these body fluids puts an unaffected horse as a significant risk of contracting the disease.  Supposedly, the bacteria can remain viable for 3-7 days  on hard surfaces or even soil that infected exudates come in contact with and nearing several weeks it can survived in water.

Though if left unchecked Strangles can prove fatal, it can be remedied.  Unfortunately, the first thing to do is to isolate affected horses from the unaffected to prevent further spread of the disease.  Then attempts should be made to make the horse comfortable with cold therapy to help decrease swelling and fever, as well as consuming something called an antibiotic which, apparently, can be accomplished by the consumption of certain types of molds.  If necessary to prevent suffocation, the glands of the affected horse may need to be physically drained as well.

At the completion of sharing her knowledge, she moves away from the head of the group, opting for the long way around to her usual standing ground, in order to pass by the lumbering body of Zain.  When she passes him, her eyes bore into his heatedly with the progression of a smug smile growing upon her charcoal lips before blowing him a cursory kiss.  For some inexplicable reason she wanted to teach him a lesson in the worst kind of way.  Cheeky bastard, she thinks with stupid amusement as she settles back in to listen to the rest of the reports.

*bold and italicized denotes the paper assignment with a word count of 394

Bonus question answer:  The Paint is a breed of horse rooted in traceable bloodlines, whereas a Pinto refers to a coat pattern that can be associated with many different breeds of horses.

[Pond]

everybody seems so far away from me now

Pond takes notice of the awarded scores, the teacher’s remarks, and collects herself in the face of minor defeat. Her mother had taught her how to lose with grace and continue to hold her head high. As she listens to the teacher’s statements, she nods to herself and clenches her jaw, eager for the next chance to prove herself. If Breckin was the one to beat, she should learn from the other mare’s previous presentation and do her best to match it.

Her next assignment comes: a presentation on Pigeon Fever.

After a brief expedition to gather information from Vulgaris, a stallion she considers to be her mentor and someone she knows is well-versed in the world, she believes she has learned enough to complete her report on the subject. She steps forward as meagerly as before, shadowy wings tucked against her shoulders and avoiding contact with any of the others, and begins her presentation as such:

“Pigeon Fever is a disease also known by the name ‘dryland distemper,’ although it is sometimes confused with the Strangles infection. It is induced either by open wounds or mucous membranes coming into contact with contaminated soil or transmitted by insect bites once a fly has bitten an infected horse or contacted contaminated soil. It is very highly contagious to horses in close proximity with an infected horse.” She pauses to let the information settle in and gives a minor glance to Zain and then to Breckin out of curiosity for their reactions thus far.

She continues: “It’s likely that the ‘dryland’ name comes from the fact that it is often spread by a bacterium found more frequently during periods of drought and in areas that contain dry and warm earth. If possible to locate, some cures include natural herbs such as peppermint or small bulbs of garlic to be used as natural insect repellents. Any open wounds should be cleaned regularly. If the infection is internal, consumption of blue-green algae, carrots, and very fresh grass should help as these all provide essential vitamins to help ward off the illness.”

She pauses to remember what else she had learned from her mentor Vulgaris and tilts her head before continuing onward, determined to try and gain a better score this time. “Often, treatment of Pigeon Fever is to simply allow the illness to run its course. Cold, such as snow or ice, or heat, such as hot springs or warm sand, may be used to negate the effects of external swelling, but internal infections may need more specific treatment to be administered. Obviously, for us wild horses, this may not always be possible and the infection may become deadly.” The very thought saddens her, but she imagines that is why her parents moved her away from the deserts when she’d been so young - so that she could remain well-fed, watered, and healthy with them once they had stepped down from their thrones rather than roaming alone in her youth as each of them had done.

With a short, deep breath, she continues her work. “The disease’s name, ‘Pigeon Fever,’ comes from a tendency of an infected horse’s chest to swell up, giving it the appearance of a fluffed-up pigeon’s chest. However this can often be mistaken for a deep bruise or a muscle strain, which could be a severe mistake to make.” This somehow reminds her of her brother Harking and how he’d always been so strong, with his powerful chest and wings that were so strong and avian, but she had never seen him fall ill. Then again, he hadn’t lived for very long after her birth and had fallen in battle. Who knows? “However the disease comes in several different forms including limb swelling, other external abscesses (such as the swollen chest), or internal organ infections that can be life threatening, but that form is fairly rare.”

She pauses again to collect her breath and steady her nervous heart before she goes on once more. “It typically takes anywhere from three to four weeks to incubate the disease and there are not always immediately identifiable symptoms. It depends on the age and health of the infected horse to determine which form of the disease has been contracted,along with physical symptoms, and specific examinations are often required to pinpoint the exact form the disease has taken. Most likely, though, the disease manifests in abscesses and will abate with tender treatment or, if need be, a lancing of the abscess to allow the fluid to drain away.”

The thought of such a thing afflicting any horse, let alone herself, makes Pond shudder slightly. “However if an abscess is lanced, it should be cleaned regularly and the infected horse kept away from all other nearby horses to prevent further infection, like I mentioned before.”

With her report finished, she recedes to her place in the group, waiting attentively for the next assignment.


Bold text indicates actual essay portions. Word count 431.

Bonus: The Paint horse is an actual breed of horse that can be registered with official horse registries whereas a pinto horse indicates a horse with a multicolored coat (aside from the Appaloosa and other such spotted breeds).

POND.

everybody just wants to be free

[Lucrezia]

When Teacher Tir hands back her assignment with the score, Lucrezia is a bit shocked. It pains her ego a bit to see that she did not do well as she thought she had done. However, Lucrezia is not always one to throw something like this into the air and forget about it. She will do better on the next assignment just as she challenges herself willingly to do better and learn. Lucrezia always sought such obstacles within her life as an opportunity to grow and this certainly was one of those.

The interaction between Zain and Breckin brings delight to her eyes. It’s almost too hard for her to conceal her laughter at the scene, but she manages to keep it silent as possible. She hopes at least it is enough that Teacher Tir will not take notice of her disruption in the class.

The next assignment handed out to each of the students is on the subject of health. Lucrezia allows herself to think about the assignment as Teacher Tir explains the standards and expectations of their new assignment. When the class is dismissed, she already has a plan set in mind.

Lucrezia finds herself roaming the common lands of Beqanna. She throws herself into the normal routine she always has to find a quiet place within her thoughts and away from the world. The rush of excitement feels her veins and her thoughts turn to happy times before she had returned to Beqanna. It was within her past travelling experiences that the information she sought would be.

Her time away from Beqanna had been filled with many adventures and learning of the world. She had grown great relationships with others beyond the horizon of Beqanna. The lessons she learned were something she kept within her mind, knowing someday the knowledge she kept would be useful. Today seemed to be that day.

She finds herself within the meadow. Her favorite spot within her years of living in Beqanna is under a lone tree that shades her away from the ever-growing warm sun. Making herself comfortable against the tree as she lays her back against it, she allows her mind to unravel. Her memories come slowly, but surely there would be something there. Someone she knew who had experience such hardships of the disease known as Strangles.

The day passes slowly, but she recalls the event within an hour under the shade of the lone tree she leans against. It had been a stranger, but eventually they had grown close, and told her about her experience of having the disease.

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Lucrezia returns to the class when their next session is scheduled. She smiles and keeps a silent laugh to herself at the interaction between Zain and Breckin. She couldn’t help but find enjoyment in their innocent behavior with one another. The winged mare listens to each of the three other students that speak before her. When it is her turn, Lucrezia steps forward to the front of the class. She gives Teacher Tir and the other students a soft smile before presenting her assigned disease to the class.

“I had the pleasure of meeting someone on my journeys outside of Beqanna who had been diagnosed with Strangles,” she begins her presentation. “Strangles is a bacteria disease that is highly contagious in the upper respiratory tract of horses, ponies, and donkeys. The specific bacteria that causes Strangles is Streptococcus equi equi. All ages can be effected by Strangles, but younger horses tend to typically develop more severe signs of the disease.” Lucrezia pauses for a moment, allowing herself to gather the next information of her presentation before continuing.

“The disease is usually spread between horses by direct contact or shared environments, such as watering sources, from the discharge of any draining abscesses that are highly infected. It can also be transferred by hands, clothing, or other equipment. The incubation period can be up to 14 days but usually is 3-10 days. However, abscesses can take up to a week to appear after that. If the condition isn’t treated, it will last about three weeks.” She cannot imagine how her friend might have felt when she had contracted the disease and remained away from the other for a time. Her friend had been a kind-hearted mare who wanted to never spread harm onto others.

With a short breath, she continues her presentation to the class. “A horse that has Strangles will develop abscesses in their lymph nodes of the head and neck. This usually causes coughing fits and difficulty swallowing. There will also be yellow colored nasal discharge from both the nose and eyes. Horses may also experience depression and a loss of appetite because of difficulty eating or extending his or her head due to the discomfort in its throat. This is where the name Strangles comes from since the lymph nodes swell, compressing the pharynx, larynx, and trachea, and can cause airway obstruction that name lead to death.” Lucrezia pauses for another minute again and then continues on listing the signs of Strangles. “A horse will also have a fever that can go up to 106 F. There might even be hot and painful abscesses that develop on the sides of the head and throat which might burst and discharge pus.”

“The first thing that should happen when it becomes aware a horse has contracted Strangles is for them to be isolated since it is very contagious with other horses. After the horse has been isolated then several treatments and quality nursing can happen. The horse will need lots of rest and may even need antibiotics that can help fight against the bacteria. If any of the abscesses wounds have burst, it’s important they are kept clean. Symptomatic therapy can also be used, which is where warm packs are used on the mature abscesses so it helps to make them less painful and more comfortable for the horse. Other abscesses will need to be carefully observed so they do not prevent further infections.”

After completing her presentation, Lucrezia gives everyone a big smile. She then heads down an open space and makes her way back to her previous spot before giving her presentation. Lucrezia then waits for the next assignment to happen.

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Bold indicates the essay portion of the assignment.
Word Count: 399
Bonus Question Answer: A Paint horse is a type of breed of horse while a Pinto horse refers to the coat of the horse that has large patches of white and another color.