Guide to Chemistry

=Information=

Metabolism and Overdose
Most medicines and chemicals designed for use in people, have an Overdose limit. If a person metabolises more than this much of the chemical in a short time, they will suffer the overdose effect for that chemical, which is usually a bad thing. Overdose limits vary widely, but the most common value is 30 units.

The most common overdose effect is 'Toxins', the patient will suffer 0.2 points of toxins damage per second, as long as the medicine continues metabolising in their system. This is only dependant on time, not on the quantity of the dose, so overdosing on medicines that metabolise slowly is far more dangerous, they'll keep poisoning the patient for longer.

It is important to note that metabolisation is not the same as just putting the chemicals into a patient. All chemicals that are injected into, or fed to the patient, are stored harmlessly within their body until they can be properly absorbed, or 'metabolised'. This process happens at a variable rate for each chemical, but the most common metabolic rate is 0.2 units per proc, which works out to 0.1u per second

Overdose effects do not trigger until the patient has metabolised enough to reach the overdose limit, which may take several minutes.

Whenever this document mentions the word 'dose', it refers to how much has been metabolised into the patient, not how much has been injected into their blood.

Whenever a patient has fully metabolised all the volume of a drug that is present in their stomach or blood, the dose is instantly cleared, and the drug's effects are stopped. Even if they had overdosed before, once the dose is cleared its safe to administer more of the same thing.

Catalysts
Several of the more advanced chemistry recipes take an ingredient (usually phoron) which is marked as (Catalyst)

A Catalyst is a chemical which is required to help a chemical reaction, but does not become part of the finished result. Whenever a recipe involves a catalyst, the catalyst will be left over in the beaker, alongside the finished product. You can use the ChemMaster to extract the catalyst, put it in a bottle, and reuse it later.

=Chemicals=

Other
=Compounds=

Pharmaceutical Compounds
Things that are designed for use in a patient's body, for good or ill.

Basic Treatments
These treatments are weak but widely available in medkits or medibots. They are not commonly used by doctors, who have access to more powerful specialised medicines.

Standard Treatments
These medicines are the mainstays, standard treatments for most common conditions. A good chemist should make sure that all of these are available in sufficient quantities

Advanced Treatments
Very powerful and useful medicines, which are uncommon or difficult to make. Creating these is important to being a good chemist.

Specialist Treatments
Rarely used medicines with very specific, niche utility. These are typically made on demand if required, and not often prepared in advance.

Anti Microbials
Medicines used to fight Viral Pathogens and Bacterial Infections A detailed guide to Bacterial Infections can be found here: https://aurorastation.org/wiki/index.php?title=Guide_to_Medicine#Infection

Painkillers
Usually administered to people who've just been wounded, to help stabilise them.

Sedatives
Sedatives put people to sleep. Useful for surgery when anaesthetic gas won't work, for dealing with troublesome patients who won't sit still, and in dire situations, for self defense.

Mental Stabilisers
Compounds to alter the patient's mental state. These are mostly roleplay only, and have almost no mechanical effects.

Performance Enhancers
Things to make people work harder, better, faster and stronger. These can be helpful to dose up on before combat, and are sometimes requisitioned by a well prepared security team

Narcotics
Drugs to get high, these are illegal to distribute, or administer without good reason. Making up and dosing yourself on space drugs is the hallmark of a bad Chemist. Don't do it.

Poisons
These compounds are harmful to organic life. Do not administer them unless you intend to murder the patient. They are mostly used by antagonists, and sometimes for research.

Foodstuffs
Things that are safe to eat. Most of these are ingredients though, and not generally designed to be eaten as-is.

Industrial Compounds
Things that are not designed to go inside people.

Cleaning Agents
Things that are useful for cleaning, and often requested by janitors.

Horticultural
Things designed to aid in Botany and Xenobotany

Weapons
Everything in this category is dangerous, and should not be used without approval from security or command, unless you're an antagonist. Unapproved use is likely to make security, and possibly the admins, quite upset with you. Most of the things in this category are best used in making grenades and bombs.