From Lexicanum

The Apothecary is a Space Marine warrior of supreme might and bravery, whose role is to save what he can of the Chapter's gene-seed and to tend to the wounded on the battlefield.¹

Apothecaries are greatly honoured within the Chapter, as they are responsible for maintaining the purity of its gene-seed. If its gene-seed were to become mutated, it could well bring the Chapter's extinction or its fall to Chaos. The Apothecaries are charged with maintaining the health and genetic purity of the Space Marines. Their skills and equipment, when combined with the added organs and resilience of a Space Marine, allow an Apothecary to perform battle surgery with a good chance of success. Marines rarely go into battle without an Apothecary being available, as every Marine is a valuable resource and to lose any of their gene-seed would be a blow to the Chapter.

However, sometimes even the skills of an Apothecary are not enough to save a Marine. In this case, it is the Apothecary's responsibility to administer "the Emperor's Peace" - euthanasia - to those warriors who deserve it. The Apothecary's medi-pack known as a Narthecium which includes a special humane-killer for this task, called a reductor - a solid spring-loaded piston of metal. This is applied to the sufferer's temple, its powerful spring hurling the piston through the Marine's brain and killing him instantly.

It is also the Apothecary's duty to harvest from the bodies' of fallen Marines the two implanted Progenoid glands, allowing for the gene-seed material to be cultivated and re-implanted in a Neophyte. Apothecaries spend a great deal of time monitoring recruits and neophytes for mutation or flaws in their gene-seed organs and implants.

Each Company in a Chapter has an attached Apothecary that accompanies them into battle. Additional Apothecaries staff the Apothecarion, although they rarely take to the field, instead acting as bio-researchers and occupying themselves in taking part in the training of Neophytes and potential new Apothecaries.²

Prime Helix

The symbol of the Astartes Apothecary combines many ancient and arcane elements to form a symbol representing the geneseed of the Astartes and the Apothecary's role in protecting that sacred gift.

Frequently rendered in bright red, the central symbol is often surmounted with additional iconography such as wings, and skulls, which contrasts sharply against the traditional white armour of the Apothecary. The Prime Helix instantly gives hope to a wounded Astartes that he may live to fight again, or if not, that at the least his geneseed will return to the Chapter.

Sources

• ¹:*Games Workshop Apothecary Figurine (accessed 2007.06.11)
• ²:Insignium Astartes
• Codex: Space Marines
• White Dwarf 102

Related Articles

Space Marine Infantry
Command Units	Master • Captain • Master of Sanctity • Reclusiarch • Epistolary • Codicier Command Squad • Apothecary • Company Standard Bearer • Company Champion Terminator Command Squad • Ultramarines Honour Guard
Flexible Troops	Tactical Squad • Terminator Squad • Veteran Squad • Scout Squad • Tyrannic War Veterans
Combat Troops	Assault Squad • Terminator Assault Squad
Ranged Troops	Devastator Squad
Support Units	Space Marine Bike • Space Marine Attack Bike • Scout Bike