Puchtem
Puchtem, is an illness specific to Dwarves and which can be life-threatening. It's directly related to the Dwarves' lack of sufficient exposure to sunlight, their subsequent lack of vitamins and the cream used to combat this deficiency.
While the organic version of the cream is harmless, the same cannot be said of the synthetic one. Made with cheaper ingredients, once applied it starts disrupting the endogenic system and the first symptoms appear one to three months later - which is equivalent of one pot of cream if applied daily.
Symptoms include dry and/or thick skin, scaly patches, discoloration of the skin, and in more severe cases, blood infection and necrosis. These symptoms are caused by dead cells whose nucleus has exploded.
Treatments for early-stage Puchtem, consists of taking vitamins supplements, however once necrosis is observed, it requires peeling off the necrosed skin which is then replaced with salmon grafts and, in the more severe cases, amputation of necrosed parts.
Because the cream disrupts the endogenic system, it can lead to various serious conditions
LINGUISTICS
IPA transcription
/ puʧtem /
Pronounciation
[ PUTCH.em]
Meaning
"Stone skin"
Etymology
From Chîkise, puch ("stone") + tem ("skin")
