My wife and I joked about Crusher’s use of inaprovaline during our TNG watchthrough. She uses it for a lot of pretty dramatically different afflictions. Aside from Retinax V and Cordrazine, it’s the only medication name in the Trek universe that I can remember off the top of my head.
You get a gash on your arm or face wakeboarding on the holodeck or having sex with a Klingon, go to sickbay and the doctor can wave a thing that makes a meedly noise over it that photoshops the gash away. But if someone has been plot hurt, like “spends the second act laying in sick bay” hurt, they don’t use the photoshop gash remover, they leave the gashes on the character’s face, so the audience remembers they’re hurt.
My dad made up probably the most believable bullshit reason as to why:
The gash photoshopper device stimulates the immune system to heal the wound with tremendous speed, which you can afford to do to a healthy person with one “that’ll need stitches” grade injury. Their entire immune system rushes over to heal this one thing. But that’s not safe to do to someone you just fished out from under a rock slide whose everything is broken or punctured.
But no, it’s because someone who is plot hurt needs to look hurt while they’re hurt, because it’s a TV show. The gash photoshopper device is another case of Roddenberry utopia-ing too close to the sun.
That’s a really plausible reason. It also goes a long way toward explaining why they’re always using a tricorder to scan their body when they have a scratch on their face: gotta make sure you’re not, like, fighting off Antarean Supermeasles or something before they use the magic flashlight.
Just looked on Memory Alpha. Turns out that inaprovaline is indeed the most-used medication in the franchise, being used fourteen times across four series (TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT). Four of those were administered by Dr. Crusher, but actually the EMH has her beat, ordering it six times. That makes sense, since TNG and VOY are definitely the series I’ve watched the most.
But cordrazine is a close second, with thirteen mentions across four series (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY). The EMH is actually the one who prescribes that one the most, too, using it four times. McCoy used it three times (though one of those was less than intentional), Bashir used it three times, Crusher twice. The weirdest mention of cordrazine (though it wasn’t actually used) was when Neelix suggested Tom Paris use it on a lizard baby. Cordrazine’s derivative, tricordrazine, was used seven times across two series (TNG and Discovery), including by Pulaski, Crusher, and Culber.
Incidentally, Retinax V is only mentioned once, in Wrath of Khan. We never see it used on screen.
My wife and I joked about Crusher’s use of inaprovaline during our TNG watchthrough. She uses it for a lot of pretty dramatically different afflictions. Aside from Retinax V and Cordrazine, it’s the only medication name in the Trek universe that I can remember off the top of my head.
Something that always bothered me:
You get a gash on your arm or face wakeboarding on the holodeck or having sex with a Klingon, go to sickbay and the doctor can wave a thing that makes a meedly noise over it that photoshops the gash away. But if someone has been plot hurt, like “spends the second act laying in sick bay” hurt, they don’t use the photoshop gash remover, they leave the gashes on the character’s face, so the audience remembers they’re hurt.
“Doctor, shouldn’t we heal the superficial wounds?”
“No! How would the audience know they’re grievously injured??”
My dad made up probably the most believable bullshit reason as to why:
The gash photoshopper device stimulates the immune system to heal the wound with tremendous speed, which you can afford to do to a healthy person with one “that’ll need stitches” grade injury. Their entire immune system rushes over to heal this one thing. But that’s not safe to do to someone you just fished out from under a rock slide whose everything is broken or punctured.
But no, it’s because someone who is plot hurt needs to look hurt while they’re hurt, because it’s a TV show. The gash photoshopper device is another case of Roddenberry utopia-ing too close to the sun.
Your dad gave a pretty good
excusereason! I would have bought it if they’d ever mentioned it.That’s a really plausible reason. It also goes a long way toward explaining why they’re always using a tricorder to scan their body when they have a scratch on their face: gotta make sure you’re not, like, fighting off Antarean Supermeasles or something before they use the magic flashlight.
Thanks, I’ve promoted it to headcanon.
Just looked on Memory Alpha. Turns out that inaprovaline is indeed the most-used medication in the franchise, being used fourteen times across four series (TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT). Four of those were administered by Dr. Crusher, but actually the EMH has her beat, ordering it six times. That makes sense, since TNG and VOY are definitely the series I’ve watched the most.
But cordrazine is a close second, with thirteen mentions across four series (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY). The EMH is actually the one who prescribes that one the most, too, using it four times. McCoy used it three times (though one of those was less than intentional), Bashir used it three times, Crusher twice. The weirdest mention of cordrazine (though it wasn’t actually used) was when Neelix suggested Tom Paris use it on a lizard baby. Cordrazine’s derivative, tricordrazine, was used seven times across two series (TNG and Discovery), including by Pulaski, Crusher, and Culber.
Incidentally, Retinax V is only mentioned once, in Wrath of Khan. We never see it used on screen.
We never see it used to maintain the film’s PG rating.
I always questioned the treatment for neurological or genetic issues that simply called upon telling the computer to do things. How is that medicine?!
I always questioned the treatment for neurological or genetic issues that simply called upon telling the computer to do things. How is that medicine?!
I always questioned the treatment for neurological or genetic issues that simply called upon telling the computer to do things. How is that medicine?!
I always questioned the treatment for neurological or genetic issues that simply called upon telling the computer to do things. How is that medicine?!