Healthcare prepping

[mamabearCali]

Ok so in light of the soon to come health care rationing. I think we need to be ready to try and care for ourselves and our own as much as humanly possible. So first things first knowledge is power. For a basic knowledge of how to care for people when the medical system is sparse (or refuses to care for you) I reccomend two books. Happily they are e-books and free.

Where there are no doctors
Where women have no doctors

You can get them here
http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/

I don't agree with everything they say, but it is mostly very good.

Additionally. Garlic is good for whatever ails you. I have treated many minor illnesses with garlic chicken soup. We go to the MD for sicknesses (and I have four kids) less than once a year. My rule you sniffle you get garlic.


Feel free to add your home remedies/links to resources

[skeeterss0]

I agree; garlic, onions, and apples are natures way of keeping us healthy.

[Kreutz]

There will be no rationing except in the current form of simply being able to afford it, but you can buy fish antibiotics anywhere...from tetracycline to doxycycline.

Learning how to Gram stain is essential to selecting the right antibiotic.

Also wana point out garlic is only potent when crushed so it releases allicin, so, you cant swallow a clove and get anything out of it; gotta chew it. You can crush it and put it into empty capsuls if you must.

Honey (the purer stuff you get at farmers markets, not the mass produced clove honey) is also a medicine chest in and of itself that never expires.

[mamabearCali]

looking up gram stain

[Reverenddel]

AGREED! The first time I learn herbal was on a "rez" when I had a headache, and an old woman handed me a piece of willow bark... "Chew"...

'Nuff said. How much have we forgotten because of the "PHARM" industry?

[allingeneral]

Great thread! I don't have anything to add...just want to listen *subscribed*

[Reverenddel]

They make PDR (physician's desk reference) for herbal medications. It's not that expensive, and it's pretty telling, but you have to interpret "White Coat Speak".

[Kreutz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_plaster

I knew of these for sprains and strains, but apparently they've got respiratory uses as well. I'd take the "no bare skin and never keep on longer than 30 minutes" part seriously, since this is what mustard gas was refined from after all.

[mamabearCali]

Let me add this. My dad has had terrible excema for three years at least. He has been to many a doctor and gotten steroid creams. I have made him herbal creams of plaintain (did nothing), comfrey (made it worse), and finally simple whipped coconut oil (soothed but did not cure). Two month ago he came to my house suffering terribly from a back ache. He is out of a job, out of insurance, and they do not have big bucks to spend on multiple doctor appt. What I know of pharm from personal experience is that ibuprofen at high does (600 mg-800mg) can calm down acute back pain. However he is allergic to ibuprofen and will not, because of religious reasons, do my other easy choice a couple of beers or a glass of wine. So to try and find something I got out my practical herbalism book. Turn out that simple peppermint is an anti-inflammatory and an anti-spasmodic. My parents have a 4X4 square of it in their front yard. They planted two patches of it years ago and it simply took over. He started making peppermint tea. It has nearly healed his leg (which I was not even trying to fix) and has brought his Back pain down to a slight ache from time to time, easily handled with gentle exercise and rest. Just somthing I thought I would pass on.

The book I got the info from is this http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Herbali ... 1885653220