I listed several alternatives to scratches, but, no, not a lot more. No deep gashes that'd've severed nerves/vessels/muscles, no broken or lopped of limbs, no traumatic brain injury, etc, until you hit that 0 hp threshold where you drop unconscious and can die. Until then, you're just happily adventuring along at no penalty of any kind. Same place you get that they don't heal overnight. Yes, that's the point.
The 0 HP threshold is dead in 2e unless you are using the optional rule in the DMG. So unless you make every single "real" hit a death blow that theory doesn't work in 2e by default.
I think the healing mechanics of 2e allow for HP to be used for deep wounds and other injuries like serious burns. I really don't understand what you think healing spells are capable of healing, but it seems to me you're limiting the abstraction and their usefulness. From what I can tell they can heal deep wounds and serious burns, they are not just "endurance refreshments". I honestly couldn't play a cleric in D&D if my healing spells were that pathetic. I think that would make divine magic seem very cheap and pointless.
As for suffering lasting wounds, 2e does a great job of that when it's needed and if you need more granularity the players options books are a great source for bleeding wounds and lost limbs. Apart from that, a Blade of Sharpness or a Staff of Withering is another option for limb loss. For bleeding wounds, the sword of wounding uses HPs alone for that purpose. Of course, many spells like Heat Metal have these debilitating mechanics baked in. In this case searing hot metal causes blisters and damage to exposed flesh and a heal spell restores the debilitating effects.
I also think that HP in 2e are far more abstract than what you are suggesting. I certainly don't need Hit Dice, Healing Surges, or extra rules to describe serious injury. IMO, HP are abstract enough for this purpose alone provided healing magic has the power to restore those injuries and natural healing is very slow.
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