Cold?

[ithildin]

I'm watching the ep where Anne comes to Paris, and she wants Duncan to put a coat on even thought he can't catch a cold, and he replies, 'we can catch colds, just not die of them.' I don't ever remember knowing that they could get any sort of illness?

Comments

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

I've often wondered about that. I mean, maybe th eir idea of a cold is like what normal mortals refers to as a full blown flu and all they get is a sniffle and then their immune system or whatever it is kicks in and that's it. That's their cold, a sniffle.

*shrug*

[calime]

Actually (and may people more knowledgeable correct me if I'm wrong) I've always thought that they get ill, injured etc like mortals, only recuperate better/faster/from more advanced situations than mortals do. Basically, organisms with really good immune systems and regenerative abilites. But I think it has never been explored much in canon (illnesses at least not, traumas more - like Kalas' neck wound). Would be interesting to speculate whether they'd have to die from illnesses that'd normally kill a mortal, and come back ...or would they just be affected to a lesser degree or not at all (*imagines Caspian being so nasty because of permanent subclincal liver fluke infestation combined with rabies* *eg*). Would they get well faster if they die (like a restart *gg*)? I think for example Leslie Fish has a similar concept written in her Sins of Omission series (Father Riley, an old mmortal discovering that if he basically breaks all his bones, the immortal healing will not only restore them to the previous aged condition, but basically cure previous problems like arthritis too).
It's a really fascinating topic to discuss...unfortunately I gotta get back to epidemiology class for now...so maybe more, later?

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Talk about a can of worms *g*. I have a question. Everyone talks about Immortal's immune systems - is it *ever* discussed or even mentioned in canon that they have better immune systems? Or is it that they are effected just like we are until they die and then their bodies repair and they revive? I just don't seem to remember it even being brought up, except in this instance. And then Duncan's reply, to me, is that they can get a cold just like any other human on the planet, but if they die, they come back.

[eveningblue.livejournal.com]

Here's a riddle for you:

If the body cannot regenerate limbs, it would stand to reason that it cannot regenerate organs, either.

So what if an Immortal had his or her heart ripped out?