Category: First Aid/Medical

This past week I had a pharmacy call me about a multi-year prescription I had written for a fellow prepper.  The pharmacy would not fill the prescription, and didn’t even know if was legal.  At first they told the patient I would have to write a note regarding the purpose of so much medication, and that the drug might not even be good beyond a year.  On further consideration, they informed him that he would have to get a new prescription written for a smaller amount.  It seemed they did not even want to keep the written prescription in their …

Ever since Primatene Mist was taken off the market a year ago, SurvivalBlog readers have asked about a replacement for this potentially life-saving over-the-counter drug.    Now there is one, in the form of Asthmanefrin. If you don’t have asthma, should you care?  Definitely so. Although the drug is officially only indicated for asthma, in the event of societal collapse, it may be the only effective and available treatment for: Serious allergic reactions to foods, drugs, stinging/biting insects, or other substances Widespread hives Anaphylactic swelling of the face, lips, or throat (or angioedema) Dropping blood pressure Narrowed airways due to infection, …

Dear Mr. Rawles, I was recently treated for an abscess in my foot and was reminded of the importance of stockpiling large amounts of everything, gauze in particular. The good news is that a nasty staph infection is treatable in a TEOTWAWKI situation. The bad news is that you need to have antibiotics and gauze, and lots of it. A few weeks ago I went to see my doctor after developing a large and painful abscess that didn’t look like pimples I’ve experienced before. It was deep under the skin, large and painful, so I thought it should be checked …

Thank you for your wonderful service,  and Merry Christmas! On the subject of Hemorrhoids, my favored,and very effective,  treatment for this problem is tincture of witch-hazel (Hamamelis  Virginiana) It grows plentifully in damp woods in central Appalachians—maybe elsewhere, I simply cut a bunch of the small twigs, stuff them in a jar, and add alcohol. I prefer drinking-grade ethanol, as it is the least toxic of the alcohols. After a couple of days steeping, I begin using it by soaking a small pad of toilet paper or cotton , and pressing it to the affected area a couple of times …

Mr. Rawles, I would like to comment on the recent article by P.S. in Virginia on the sensitive (pun intended) subject of hemorrhoids.  I would suggest the use of arnica montana or just Arnica.  It comes in gel, cream, and sublingual tablets and acts as a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent.  Don’t use the topicals on open wounds.  I am not in the medical field, but my chiropractor/nutritionist recommends it and I have used it for this very purpose and for others.  I purchase mine from Puritan.com, but it is available at many local health food stores, amazon.com, etc.  I have …

One of the best ways to learn something is by doing for yourself or if it’s a painful learning experience then the best way to learn is from someone going through it so you hopefully won’t have to. A couple of days before Thanksgiving (Tuesday) I managed to end up with the wonderful surprise of a hemorrhoid. I would like to think I have a high tolerance to pain but let me tell you, this puppy took me down for the count. When these first start there is just no comfortable position you can get into, sitting, standing or laying …

Modern neonatal care in a fully equipped and staffed hospital connected to a power grid will be all but a memory in TEOTWAWKI. In the event of SHTF where professional medical services are no longer available it is completely up to the parent(s) to assist the newborn in the traumatic transition from womb to world. Knowledge of basic neonatal field care will increase the chances of survival for a newborn. This article is divided into three sections: Pregnancy, Transition, and First 48 Hours. Pregnancy The first section of this article deals with pregnancy. To begin our discussion of field care …

James, In a recent TCCC class, more info was covered on why hemostatic infused gauze is preferred over Hemostatic granules.   The concept for Hemostatic agents was first explored with the use of instant mashed potatoes dumped into a wound. The blood soaked the potatoes thickening them up and helping aid the blood in clotting. This was efficient, until it was realized that the potato “granules” were being carried into the blood stream and causing blood clots. Obviously, this is a very bad thing. When the hemostatic agent was first created in a granule form, it did the same thing …